Reasons Within
by TormentingAllLemmings
Summary: A year after their adventures, Sano runs into a young woman who appears to have more to her than meets the eye. When Aoshi and other unexpected people complicate matters, both their lives and relationship becomes uncertain. AU. SanoOC
1. I

Summery: A stranger in Japan finds herself somehow falling for Sanosuke after they become rather...close. Aoshi steps in - purely as a friend, of course. Sure. Sano/OC for almost sure.

Warning: M for a reason. Strong violence later, strong sexuality, and references to both. May have some OOC.

Disclaimer: I do not own RK or any characters. I do own my characters and the plot, however.

This is actually based off a really bad RK fic I wrote a few years ago - a really bad MS. Thank goodness I never posted it! So this is a rewrite/new story off of it. This takes place a year after the show, so...I'll post ages at the bottom. They're not important yet- well, not really at all, but I like people to know what the hell I'm doing.

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

"Must you always pick a fight, Sano?" Kaoru demanded, more than a little annoyed. The twenty year-old merely laughed, and looked around. A girl of about their age caught his eye, with dark golden-brown hair and wide indigo eyes. Her skin was tanner than most Asians, and she was taller than most Asian women as well.

"Not again…" Yahiko groaned, as Sano grinned.

"Wait, Sanosuke," Kenshin held his arm momentarily. "Look at what she's wearing. She's obviously not from around here."

"Oh yeah…" Yahiko noticed, and Kaoru sniffed.

"It's hardly proper for a girl to be wearing clothes like that in public," she added, inspecting the girl. She wore a dark red skirt under a black sash, cut wide. A long matching jacket hung over a snug white, loose-sleeved shirt, revealing the girl's figure.

"She's still pretty," Sano protested, but Kenshin shook his head, partly in amazement.

"Don't you have eyes, Sano? She's wearing a reverse-blade sword," he pointed out, and Sano blinked.

"Huh."

"You two go home," Kenshin ordered, his eyes narrowing. "Something's going to happen."

"What? Kenshin, what's going on?" Kaoru demanded, but he barely glanced at her.

"I think we better go," Yahiko said, tugging her sleeve, for once being obedient. "Let's go, Kaoru!"

"All right," she nodded, reluctantly, and the two rushed back toward the dojo.

The girl brushed a strand of hair out of her face, which had fallen out of the bun she had it in at the nape of her neck.

"I wonder what she's up to," Sano murmured, and Kenshin merely shook his head.

"She's looking for someone, that she is," he replied. "But I don't know for whom. Have you seen her around the Akabeko before?"

"Never," Sano shook his head. "Or else I would've met her before this, you can be sure."

"Yes, I'm sure," Kenshin said dryly, and then suddenly began to walk forward. "She's moving."

* * *

The two men followed the young girl through the streets until she arrived in the slums. Looking around anxiously, she tapped her foot against the dirt and frowned. Her fingers strayed to her sword hilt, but she moved them back crossed under her breasts.

"You think she knows how to use that thing?" Sano wondered quietly. Kenshin examined the girl closely, and then nodded.

"Not a master, perhaps, but the way she carries herself – she is not unfamiliar with battle," he told his friend.

"I see you made it, Aiko," a tall man smirked, appearing out of one of the houses. The girl – Aiko, spun around to face the man with dark-green hair and eyes.

"Kayo," she muttered, almost like a curse. "You made your point. Give it back."

"I don't think I made myself clear," he said thoughtfully. If his looks were anything to go by, he wasn't even a few years older than Sanosuke. "There was one other condition, Aiko."

"I won't," she shook her head, and her hand now rested firmly on her sword, the hilt barely coming out of the sheath. "Give it back, Kayo, and I'll leave Japan."

"Not until you fill your end of the bargain," he smirked again, and grabbed her wrist. She wasn't a short woman, but he was able to lift her off her feet. "Let's go, wench, before you cause me even more trouble."

"Hey!" Sano, who had had enough of the man, stepped out of the shadows with a glare aimed at Kayo. "Let her go, bastard."

"You have nothing to do with this, whoever you are," Kayo retorted, and Aiko groaned. "I suggest you leave before anything unfortunate happens."

"You know, I really hate when men try to push women around," Sano continued, calmly cracking his knuckles. "Ever heard of Zanza?"

"So, you're him?" Kayo laughed dryly. "I heard you went soft after Makoto Shishio was killed and there was no one left for you to fight, Sagara."

"Wanna bet?" Sano braced himself with a grin. "Come on."

"Let's go, Aiko," Kayo began to drag her away, unheeding of Sano's challenge. "We have work to do."

"I said let her go!" Sano yelled, and took several steps forward.

"What stake do you have in this, Sagara?" Kayo asked curiously, turning around briefly. Aiko's eyes were full of anger – directed at both Kayo and Sanosuke, from what Kenshin could tell. "Has she slept with you and stole your money? It will teach you to be more careful of women in the future."

Aiko flushed crimson at this statement, but the anger in her eyes deepened to hatred, and she clenched her hilt even tighter, her knuckles turning white.

Sano seemed taken aback at this statement, and then smirked.

"So, she's your little wench-for-hire?" he asked, and this time she paled. "Let me guess – she tried to run away?"

"Don't make assumptions," Kayo warned him. "This woman rightfully owes me something, which I intend to collect as soon as you get lost."

"From what I can tell, she's not too eager to pay up," Sanosuke replied easily. "So why not let her work it off somewhere?"

"One more chance, Sagara – leave," the man said quietly, and Kenshin saw him release Aiko's wrist slightly.

"I'll take my chances, thanks."

"Aiko – you want to pay off your debt? Then kill this man," Kayo said, tossing her to the ground towards Sano.

"I owe you _nothing_," she hissed, picking herself up. "Give it back to me, Kayo – as I said before, I'll leave without further fuss once you do."

"Kill him, and you'll get it back," he said calmly, and she turned to Sano.

"_Why should she have any scruples about killing him?"_ Kenshin realized, disturbed at how easily the young woman prepared herself to kill a stranger. _"However…no one has the right to take the life of another."_

"I apologize, but this is beyond my control," she said to Sano, drawing her blade. Sure enough, it was a reverse-blade, and Sano's eyes widened.

"Hey, hold on…" he protested, backing up as she advanced slowly towards him. "Fine, I'll leave." Sano was by no means a coward, but he hated fighting women – especially women armed with swords and prepared to use them.

"I must protest," Kenshin said, appearing next to his friend, sword drawn. Aiko blinked and hesitated.

"Are you Kenshin Himura?" Kayo asked sharply, and he nodded simply. "Aiko, kill them both and you'll not only get it back, I'll pay for your trip back home."

She glanced back at the young man in astonishment, and shook her head.

"I can't kill the Battousai!" she protested, "I'll be killed first!"

"Smart girl," Sano nodded in approval, and her gaze snapped back to him.

"_You_, however…" she began, her hand shaking slightly on her sword. Kenshin saw she was nervous in his presence, and he knew she realized he would protect Sanosuke. "You have no right to interfere in my business, Sanosuke Sagara. I apologize, but I'll have to kill you."

"You must go through me first," Kenshin said dangerously, and she once again paused. Kayo was backing up, in no mood to be caught in the middle of a swordfight. Aiko realized he was leaving, and spun around.

"Coward!" she shouted, and took off after him. Sano and Kenshin remained stunned for a moment, and then chased after the pair.

* * *

Aiko tackled the man not far from the slums, and straddled his back, shoving his face in the dirt.

"Where…is it?" she demanded. "Where?"

"In the…" he mumbled something, but she was apparently satisfied. Crawling off him, he glared as he picked himself up, and her sword leapt to his throat.

"If you ever come near me, or my family, ever again, I will kill you," she said quietly, the sword's point pricking a small hole in his throat. He nodded hastily, and ran off as soon as she lowered her weapon.

* * *

"I would like to know where you received that blade, Miss Aiko," Kenshin said, catching up to her as she began to walk back.

"That's none of your business," she said, and began to stride by them without looking. Sano grabbed her arm, and she glared at him as she yanked it away. "Leave me alone."

"You could at least say thank you," the former fighter-for-hire grumbled, and she looked at him sharply.

"For what?"

"For saving you."

Aiko burst out laughing, and the tall man blinked.

"What's so funny?" he demanded, and she shook her head.

"Saving me…" she trailed off, and sighed. "If I do, will you go away?"

"Maybe."

"Fine. Thank you. A pleasure meeting you, Battousai. My name is Aiko Sakajima," she nodded at Kenshin primly, and strode off as quickly as she could.

"What a piece of work," Sano muttered, as Kenshin looked slightly amused. "Now what?"

"She told us her name," Kenshin said. "She wants us to find her again – she deliberately told us her name."

"Big deal. I'm hungry – let's go get something to eat," Sano shrugged. Crossing his arms behind her head, he began to stride off, and Kenshin followed after a moment's pause. Aiko had disappeared into the shadows, apparently long gone.

* * *

"It's here," she sighed in relief, inside one of the slum houses. Kneeling in front of a small chest, she lifted out a smaller leather bag, and felt it gingerly. "And intact. Damn Kayo – I'll kill that bastard next time I see him. Brother or not, he'll pay for what he did to them."

Standing up, she looked around, and saw nothing else of value – at least, not to her. Yawning, Aiko sat down on the floor mat, and stretched out.

"It's deserted for the time being," she shrugged, and rolled onto her side. "I can stay here – at least tonight."

* * *

"So, what was with that girl?" Yahiko demanded, once Sano and Kenshin had stepped foot inside the dojo. Kaoru was behind him, her eyes full of questions. Kenshin and Sano related the story, and she frowned.

"Why on earth would she tell you her name, after all that?" she wondered, and Kenshin smiled thinly.

"I believe it's a European custom – she was European, after all," he added. "She may be part Japanese, but her dialect was rather refined for someone who would have grown up around here. Besides, Kayo mentioned something about paying her passage back home."

"Well, at least she's out of our hair," Sano agreed, and Kaoru glared at him.

"What do you mean, out of our hair?" she repeated. "You're the one that got yourself involved in this! Don't go including us in it!"

"Calm down, Kaoru," Kenshin said gently, placing a hand on his fiancé's arm. "Nothing happened, and she is not going to hunt us down."

"I guess you're right," she nodded reluctantly, and then glared again at Sano. "But next time you go after a pretty girl, I'm going to hit you over the head so hard you'll see stars!"

"Is this a bad time?" Misao asked, popping her head in.

"Weasel-girl!" Yahiko greeted her, and she made a face at him before looking back at the others.

"I was just wandering around, and I thought I'd drop by to see how you all were doing!"

"We're fine," Kenshin nodded. "How is Aoshi?"

"Same old Aoshi," she rolled her eyes and shrugged helplessly. "He sent me to pick up a package for him, but the person who was supposed to deliver it didn't show up. I figure I should get a morale-booster before breaking the news. Oh well, it'll come soon, I'm sure."

"We'll let you go then, Misao," Kaoru nodded. "But drop in sometime for a visit, all right?"

"Sure thing, Kaoru!" the leader of the Oniwaban group winked, and left as quickly as she had appeared.

* * *

"Oh, come on!" Misao moaned, "I've got to get that thing to Aoshi right away!"

"Nope, sorry," the man shook his head. "You don't know what it is, I can't hand it over. Orders, you understand."

"Um…is it papers?" she guessed, glancing at the slim package. He blinked, and then grinned.

"Close, missy."

"Let's see…" she pursed her lips in thought, and then grinned. "Tea bags from Europe?"

"Bingo," he nodded. "This stuff is expensive – I can't afford to go handing it to every person who claims to know the buyer."

"I understand. Thanks!" Misao nodded, and took off. After a few moments, she bumped into another young woman, and they both fell to the ground. "Oh, sorry!"

"No problem," the other woman shook her head. "I wasn't looking either."

"Is it okay?" Misao asked, picking up their packages.

"I believe so," she nodded, fingering her package gingerly. "Yes, it feels fine, thank you. I am Aiko Sakajima."

"Misao Makimachi," the raven-haired girl stuck her hand out, and Aiko shook it firmly.

"Nice meeting you, but I have to be on my way," she said with a smile, and began to move away.

"Good-bye," Misao nodded after her, and then rushed off. "At least I finally have Aoshi's package now," she sighed in relief, and didn't even glance back again.

* * *

"Misao, what is this?" Aoshi asked in confusion.

"What's what?" she blinked, popping her head in. "That's the tea you asked me to get – and thanks a lot for telling me what it was in the first place, by the way!"

"Misao, these aren't tea leaves," Aoshi told her calmly with a sigh. "It's a rice-paper portrait – of a very attractive woman, but it's not what I ordered."

"Oh no!" Misao gasped, seeing the package. "We must have gotten the wrong ones!"

"Who?"

"That girl – her picture is the same one!" Misao groaned. "It's so delicate, I just barely felt it and thought it was the tea! She must have done the same thing."

"Who, Misao?" Aoshi repeated, glancing back down at the portrait.

"Aiko Sakajima," Misao told him miserably. "I ran into her this afternoon, and we must have gotten our packages mixed up."

Aoshi sighed in annoyance, and then stood up.

"I'll take care of it. Never mind, Misao, it's not a disaster," he added suddenly, and she slumped dejectedly.

"Sorry, Aoshi," she apologized again, and disappeared.

"Sakajima…I wonder what he's doing here?" Aoshi muttered to himself, staring at the picture. "This must be his daughter…"

* * *

"There's no other way for me to earn money in this stupid place," Aiko said tiredly to herself, finding herself once again in a brothel. "I need to get home – at least I have what I came for," she added in satisfaction, fingering the package. Looking up, she sighed in relief when the customer passed over her.

Looking around, she spotted several young men together, and looked away again, not that eager to do business. Just because she was forced to work in a brothel didn't mean she was eager to start up business

"Hey, you there," Sano gestured toward her, and she looked up. With their faces hidden in the shadows cast by the candles, they were unable to recognize each other. "Come on."

"All right, sir," she murmured respectfully, hating herself with every step she took to follow the tall man down a hall. _"He seems…I've never met him in my life. I'm imagining things now…wonderful…"_

"For the whole night, sir?" an old woman asked greedily, and he inspected Aiko – her figure – closely.

"We'll see," he agreed, and handed over half the money required. "Next payment if it works out."

"Of course, sir!" the woman nodded, and glanced sharply at Aiko. "Behave yourself, girl. This one can be a bit stubborn," she added hastily to Sano, "But once you've settled her down, she's one of our best girls."

"I like 'em with fire," he nodded agreeably, and led Aiko into the room. The old woman, after glaring sharply at Aiko one last time, shut and locked the door securely – a means to ensure that their customers didn't sneak away without paying for their goods.

Aiko sighed. She had refused to accommodate a man the last time she had been forced to work at the brothel for hygienic reasons – he was filthy, and she wrinkled her nose in disgust at the memory – and had been beaten and thrown out on her ass without any money.

"I'm not that hideous," Sano commented good-naturedly, catching her face. She looked at him in surprise, and then shook her head.

"It wasn't you," she admitted, grinding her teeth. _"At least he's _not_ hideous, or old, or filthy,"_ she thought, trying to comfort herself, but the disgust she felt for herself overwhelmed any other thoughts. _"They'd die of shame if they knew."_

"Wait a sec – you're that girl from earlier!" Sano realized in shock, as her face came into the light. Peering at him, she groaned in recognition.

* * *

Ah...well, there's a lemon in the next chapter. M for a reason...

Kenshin: 29; Aoshi: 27 (I didn't know he was younger than Kenshin!); Soujiro and Misao: 19; Kaoru; 18; Yahiko; 11; Aiko and Sano: 20; Sawagejo Chou (Broom-Head): 22 I'll make him, since no one knows his real age. If ya do, please tell me.


	2. II

Summery; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Warning: LEMON in this chapter! I'll place a warning before and after it for those of you who don't want to see it.

Sorry it took so long to update. I've been kinda braindead on this one for a while, obviously. But I'm back and ready to roll! And I have surprises in store for those of you who actually read and keep reading this story...

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggesetions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

"Damn it, not you!" she sat down heavily, and then added, "And I'm not a girl – I'm twenty years old, for your information. My name is Aiko Sakajima."

"Sanosuke Sagara – wait, you know that," he remembered, and then sat down awkwardly. "This is way too weird – it figures. I just paid for half a night of nothing."

Aiko looked at him in surprise, and he noticed with some annoyance.

"Hey, I'm not a monster, okay?" he informed her. "I can tell you don't want to be here – I certainly didn't expect to find you in a place like this."

"I need the money," she said stiffly, and he nodded.

"Oh yeah, to get back home. Where do you live?" he asked, lying down on his back. She glanced at him, and then shrugged.

"Romania – my mother is Romanian," she told him finally. "I take after her in looks, mostly. My father is Taro Sakajima, a refugee from the Meji Revolution."

"Interesting," he thought, and cocked his head at her. "You don't _look_ like a noble."

"I'm not," she snapped. "I hate when people call me that. I didn't even know anything until a few months ago, when –"

"When what?" he prodded, but she set her lips close together, obviously done talking about herself. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, she sighed loudly.

"That nosy old woman, the one you paid – well, you saw that I have a reputation for trouble," she forced out. "She's listening close by, I'm sure, to make sure I'm 'behaving.' She did it last night as well."

"And…you're not suggesting we…" Sano's eyes widened – not altogether in displeasure, after seeing the way the dress revealed her figure – and Aiko glared at him.

"No!" she shook her head, and then lowered her voice. "But…well, we have to do _something_, or at least make some noise. Or else she'll get suspicious, and I need the damn money."

"What are you suggesting we do then?" he asked, and she muttered something underneath her breath. "Hey, _you're_ the professional here," he added, and instantly regretted when she paled visibly, and her eyes glistened in the dim light. "I'm sorry," he apologized, but she shook her head firmly.

"No, you're right," she said, almost as if she was convincing herself. "I am, I suppose."

"So…" Sano regarded her, and she shook her head, as if coming out of deep thought.

"Get on your stomach," she ordered, and he blinked.

"Huh?"

"Just do it," she hissed, and he complied after taking his shirt off. She gazed at him, and then mentally smacked herself. _"Just because he's handsome doesn't mean he's worth it,"_ she told herself firmly, and knelt next to him. "I'm not going to do much – just a massage," she told him, and he nodded, his chin resting on the floor.

She crawled atop of him, and Sano fought the images that a beautiful girl climbing on him brought. She began to knead his muscles expertly, and dug her nails in at certain pressure points, causing him to moan.

Hearing his grunts, Aiko forced her own desires down and continued roughly, venting her frustrations and embarrassment on his body. Sano alternately tensed and relaxed underneath her, and resisted the urge to roll on top of her and take her.

After a few minutes, Aiko paused and glanced up as the old woman's voice floated into the room.

"Is everything all right in there, sir?" she called. "She's not giving you any trouble, is she?"

"You have to be louder, damn it," Aiko hissed, and flipped Sano onto his back. He blinked in surprise at having her straddle him, and then grinned weakly.

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry – be louder!" she informed him, "If she comes in, I'm as good as dead."

"I…can't…" Sano groaned quietly, at a loss to think of anything that would produce true noises – the old woman was experienced enough to tell fake from real.

"Sir? May I come in?"

"N-no!" Sano called, and they exchanged nervous glances. He didn't want to sleep with the girl, but he certainly didn't want to get her in trouble either. Suddenly, a determined look came into her eyes, and she stared straight into his eyes. She shifted, and her knees rested heavily on his upper thighs. Her hair had come loose, and fell around her face in soft waves.

* * *

Hate to break the flow, but here's the LEMON I warned ya about!

* * *

"I hate you," she mouthed silently, and dropped her kimono down, baring herself to the waist. Sano's eyes widened and she grabbed his hands, guiding them over her breasts slowly. He took a deep breath, and began to moan – loudly this time – as Aiko began to twist around, rubbing her hips and thighs against his suggestively. Feeling his desire growing underneath her, she resisted the urge to stop, and continued her motions.

After a few moments, the old woman was apparently convinced, as her footsteps echoed down the hallway, and Aiko knew she had left them completely alone this time. She stopped, still astride him, and gasped when his hands continued to touch her of their own will.

"You…you…" she grasped for words, but everything flew out of her mind as he thrust against her, and she was thankful she was still wearing her dress to keep a barrier between them. Sano merely grunted, and abruptly sat up. Aiko's legs automatically locked around his waist to keep from falling backwards, and he slid his hands down her body seductively.

"I can see why you cost so much," he said quietly, his hands sliding inside her dress. She stifled a squeak as he began to pull the dress off her, and soon had it cast on the floor beside them. She still had her legs around his waist, and he maneuvered her calmly as he began to undress himself as well.

Aiko's gaze locked with his as he lowered her to the floor beneath him, and she was acutely aware of their naked bodies touching.

"My turn," he whispered into her ear, and something in his tone made her shiver in both anticipation and fear. He shifted around, and one of his legs came in-between the two of hers, as his arms braced himself above her. He brought his knee up suddenly, and began to rub rhythmically against her opening. She groaned at the feeling, and arched against him in desire. Her thighs clamped around his knee, and her hands grasped his body as her body ached for his touch.

Lost in his own desire, Sano abruptly pulled his knee away, and held his erection against her teasingly. She gasped at the contact, and he crushed her lips with his own hungrily, sucking on her tongue. She responded eagerly, rubbing against him as well. He pulled his lips away at the exact moment he thrust inside her. Her shriek slowly died away into moaning as his hardness began to search inside her, the heat inside her setting her own body on fire.

"Sano…" she panted, and he pulled her to him, ensuring he was fully sheathed to the hilt. She groaned, and he grunted in response as her body was thrown into spasms underneath him. He finally pulled out after releasing his desire into her, and lay on top of her catching his breath. She panted underneath him, and the sight of her sweating body beneath his eyes caused his desire to quickly swell again.

Sanosuke forced inside her once more, after pulling her knees onto his shoulders to allow him complete access inside her inner sanctum, and their bodies intertwined tightly, as if they would never let go. In his mind, there was no thought of the past, or the future – the only thing that mattered was that he wanted her, she wanted him, and they were together at this moment.

Aiko, for her part, had never felt anything like this before in her life. She had been forced to endure the touches of men before, but they had always felt filthy to her – it was never an act of love. Sano's touch, however eager he was, was gentle to her, both sending fire through her veins and cooling her body at the same time. She responded eagerly to his caresses, positive she had found nirvana in his arms.

* * *

Okay, end of LEMON!

* * *

Sano woke the next morning on the floor, beside Aiko who was still sleeping soundly. He sighed in satisfaction at the memories of the night before, and glanced at her, suddenly feeling some shame.

"_Some guy I am," _he thought ruefully. _"I said I wouldn't do anything, and here I go and sleep with her."_

Aiko suddenly stirred, her face in the pillow. She looked around blearily, and moaned when she Sano under the blankets next to her.

"Aiko…" he began, but trailed off as she shook her head, her face hidden in the pillow.

"It was…it always makes me feel disgusting," she mumbled through the pillow, holding it tight enough that her knuckles grew white. "Sano…I'm sorry. I hate myself each morning it happens, but…I feel happy, Sanosuke Sagara."

He blinked, and his arm found its way around her waist.

"Me too," he said softly, and rested his chin on her head comfortingly, his head on the pillow beside her.

* * *

"What?" the old woman's jaw actually dropped, as Sano plunked more money in front of her later that morning. "What are you saying, sir?"

"I'm saying I'll pay enough that she doesn't have to work here anymore – she's coming with me," he said, his arm tightening around Aiko's waist. Unlike most girls, who worked to pay off a debt of some kind, she was here voluntarily – of a sort – but couldn't leave until she made a certain amount of money.

"Sir…this is three times the amount necessary!" the woman protested, and her gaze flickered to Aiko. "She was that…productive?"

"You bet," he winked teasingly, and Aiko resisted the urge to punch him in the ribs.

"_Just get it over with!"_ she grumbled mentally, as the woman – still in shock that her problem employee was being bought off – counted out the money owed her. Taking it silently, she slipped it into her bag. Her fingers brushed against something, and her eyes widened slightly, but she didn't say anything – merely dragged him outside as fast as she could.

* * *

"What's the matter?" he asked, as they strode down the street. Aiko had pulled away from his grasp, and her face had fallen in despair. "Isn't it enough?"

"The…what I had…it's the wrong bag!" she said frantically, "These are tea leaves! I had rice paper! That girl!" she realized with a start.

"What girl?"

"The girl I ran into yesterday…we must have gotten the wrong bags," Aiko groaned. "Misao Makimachi, her name was. Where am I supposed to find her anyway?"

"Misao?"

"You know her?" she asked, hearing the surprise in his voice.

"Sure do. I can get her for you, and you two can exchange packages and go off on your own merry ways," he grinned, but there was a tightness around his eyes. Aiko sighed in relief, and then smiled at him.

"Thank you, Sano," she said simply, and he nodded. Aiko was dressed in a simple navy-blue kimono with pale pink cherry blossoms, but the simplicity seemed to only enhance her natural beauty even more.

* * *

"You remember Aiko, right, Kenshin?" Sano asked calmly, and Kenshin nodded, shaking her hand gently.

"A pleasure to meet you again, Miss Sakajima," he said, and then turned to Kaoru and Yahiko. "This is Kaoru Kamiya, my fiancé, and Yahiko Myojin, her pupil."

"A pleasure to meet, Miss Sakajima," Kaoru nodded eagerly, and Aiko flushed slightly.

"Aiko, please," she said, and then glanced at Sano nervously. "Is…Misao Makimachi here?"

"Huh? You know Weasel-Girl?" Yahiko asked, and Kaoru frowned at him.

"Yahiko!"

"So, she doesn't live here?" Aiko asked, clearly disappointed. Kaoru turned back to the older girl and shook her head.

"No, she lives a few miles away. She often visits – Sano can take you to their dojo however, if it's urgent."

"Well…"

"There's no need to come to our dojo," a voice said dryly, and the group whirled around in mutual surprise.

"Aoshi?" Sano asked blankly. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I believe, Aiko, you have my package," he said, holding out the similar-looking package.

"Aoshi?" Aiko blinked, and stiffened. "What are you doing here?"

"You two know each other?" Kenshin realized in confusion, and Aoshi nodded sharply. Turning his back on them, his voice floated behind him as he strode away.

"We have much to discuss, Aiko."

"Bastard," she muttered, and rushed after him, leaving the others in the proverbial dark.

* * *

"I didn't know you returned to Japan," he said calmly, as they strolled down the walkway. She looked a bit ashamed, and then glanced at him.

"Can I have my package, please?"

"You mean this?" he asked, handing it over. She placed his own tea into his hands, and then quickly checked the rice paper, sighing in relief when she saw it was undamaged. "That isn't a normal portrait."

"No, it's not," she shook her head, and looked back at him. "The rice paper isn't just dyed colors – it was dyed beforehand, and woven in for more texture."

"Who's it for?" he glanced at her sharply, and she shrugged in annoyance.

"My mother wants it," she told him, "It's a picture of her when she was young."

"You look exactly like her," he commented, and then raised his eyebrow at her. "Why was it so important?"

"Huh? Oh…well, they paid a lot for it, but…mother's going into depression, and father thought that a picture to remind her of happier times would do her good," Aiko said, a bit depressed herself. "I have to get back soon."

"I see," he nodded. Aiko looked at him suspiciously after a few minutes of silence. "What?"

"You could have sent that Misao girl," she pointed out, and he nodded solemnly.

"I'm not allowed to see my fiancé after over ten years?"

Aiko choked in surprise, and had to sit down on a nearby bench for a breather.

"I didn't think you would remember," she admitted, after being able to breath again. "Or care. After all, I was just a scrawny little girl, while you were…how old? Sixteen – seventeen?" She sighed in remembrance, and he looked at her in amusement.

"Well, you're certainly not a 'scrawny girl' anymore," he said softly, and enjoyed watching her color rise. "Are you going home alone?"

"I was planning on it," she nodded firmly, and rose to her feet. "I have my things – I should go say goodbye to the others, and leave as soon as possible."

"Hm…" Aoshi watched her leave in silence, and then strode off to his residence.

* * *

"You're_ what_?" Misao demanded loudly, and he sighed.

"Misao, please, not quite so loudly."

"Aoshi, we need you here!" she protested, and he looked up.

"Misao, you're the leader of the Oniwaban now, remember? I'm obsolete," he laughed softly, and closed up his bag. "This girl needs my help – right now, you don't. Don't worry, Misao, I won't leave forever."

"I guess," she nodded reluctantly, and hugged him before he strode out the door. "Be safe, Aoshi."

"Of course," he stroked her head affectionately, and she watched him leave in confusion.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Sano asked, catching up to Aiko as she left the Kamiya dojo.

"Oh, Sano, I didn't see you at the dojo, so I thought you had left…" she trailed off, seeing the angry look on his face.

"So, you were just going to sneak away?" he demanded, and she glared at him angrily.

"We spent one night together, Sagara," she hissed, "I spent one nights with many men, remember? That doesn't make me your property."

He caught the finger that was poking his chest, and brought it to his lips gently. She blinked at him uncomprehendingly, and he smiled softly at her.

"Maybe…but we shared more than our bodies, Aiko," he whispered, lowering his head to her ear. "I know it, and so do you. You can't just leave like this on me."

"Sano…" she began, but he cut her off by kissing her – softly at first, and quickly increasing the pressure. Hearing someone clearing their throat behind them, they jumped apart, and Aiko spun around to face Aoshi, who didn't look the least bit pleased.

"Aoshi?"

"What're you doing here, Sagara?" he asked Sano quietly. Sano still had his hand on Aiko's shoulder, and only tightened his grip while returning the other man's cold gaze.

"Saying good-bye," he said finally and stiffly. Aiko glanced back at him, and he saw the distress in her eyes. "Don't worry," he said with a small smile. "You'll come back."

"I will," she nodded firmly, and turned to face Aoshi again as Sano strode off. "What do you think you're doing, Shinomori?"

"I'm accompanying you to Romania," he replied calmly, shouldering his bag. "Your father would not be pleased if he learned I had met you and had not seen you safely back home."

Aiko, at a loss for words, merely followed the former ninja down the road, her mind whirling with unspoken words.

* * *

"_I'm a fool,"_ Sano thought ruefully, kicking at a rock in his way as he ambled back toward the dojo. _"Leaving my heart with a prostitute…and one that Aoshi looks at that way as well."_

"Is there something wrong, Sano?" Kenshin asked quietly, and Sano looked up in surprise.

"Were you following me?" he asked, and Kenshin shook his head.

"No – I was on my way to town to pick up some groceries for Kaoru, and I saw you approaching. Are you all right?"

"What's it like to be in love, Kenshin?" Sano asked abruptly, and Kenshin blinked. "You love Kaoru, I know you do. What does…what does it feel like?"

"I can't really explain it," Kenshin began calmly, and the taller man's shoulders slumped. "However, I can tell you that there's no one I would let come between us, and I would do anything to remain near her."

"She said she'd come back."

"You're referring to Miss Sakajima, I presume?" Kenshin checked, and Sano nodded. "I won't ask why you think you feel like that about her, but she does not seem the kind to forget a promise, much less break one. I would not worry, Sano."

* * *

I'm uploading the next chapter right after this one! Please review!


	3. III

Summery; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Warning: Another LEMON/LIME in this chapter! I'll post another warning for those who would rather not read it.

Again, not much else to say. A spontaneous character appears, complicating matters even further!

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

"You've got some nerve, Shinomori," she snapped. He had only allowed her to talk – or even move closer than two inches away from him – until he had seated her in the train's passenger car, in a closed-off box where they could talk in private. 

"I'd like you to point out why."

"I'm not your responsibility – I never was!" she hissed, aware that the screens only provided so much privacy. "You had no right to drag me off!"

"If I'm not mistaken, _you _followed_ me_," he pointed out. "And you were going on this train anyway, so stop behaving like a child. It's unseemly."

"Father called off the engagement when we moved, Aoshi," she revealed. "I'm free to marry whom I please, so don't think I'm bound to you in any way." She watched his face intently for a reaction, but all she received was a calm stare.

"It's not such a shock, Aiko," he said. "It was years ago, after all. And I suspected when your father didn't send me any word that you would be returning to Japan."

"My father doesn't report to you."

"I never said he did."

"You insinuated it."

"You may have changed in appearance, but you're certainly the same child that I remember," Aoshi informed her, secretly enjoying baiting her. As a child she had been overly sensitive in most things, and overly-protective of her father in all aspects, which apparently hadn't changed over the years.

"Bastard," she muttered, and glared out the window as the train began to move. Aoshi merely gazed at her silently, knowing it would slowly drive her to distraction. Sure enough, her temper flared after a few minutes, and her gaze snapped to him angrily. "_What_?"

"_She may act like a child, but I have to remember that this is a dangerous – and armed – woman now,"_ he reminded himself, mentally slapping himself for forgetting to take away her weapon as well. Outwardly maintaining his cool gaze, he merely blinked.

"I'm going to end up killing you before this trip is over," she informed him, and raised her hands in defeat when he still didn't respond. To her surprise, Aoshi caught one of her wrists as she lowered them back to her lap, and held it in his large hand firmly.

"Were you serious with that man?" he asked quietly.

"Sanosuke? I don't see what you would care, but yes," she retorted, growing embarrassed under his steady gaze. In all honesty she wasn't sure what she had meant to Sano when she promised to return, and figured it would come back to haunt her eventually.

"Your father won't be too pleased about that."

"I'm a grown woman, Aoshi, and Father no longer dictates my actions," she retorted.

"I suppose you're right," he began, but continued before she could do anything. "After all, if he had, you wouldn't have been fighting with your half-brother and almost getting yourself raped and killed by him," he finished.

"You'd do well to remember I'm no longer a child to be ordered around and blindly follow commands, Aoshi," Aiko said, her voice dangerously low. The ninja suppressed a smirk as he suddenly leaned in closer, only stopping when their noses were barely apart. She turned a pink shade as he smiled thinly, his eyes boring into hers.

"Yes, you are a woman," he agreed, and she jumped when he pressed his lips to hers firmly. Breaking it off a few moments later, he leaned back in satisfaction and eyed her as she tried to compose herself. "And I'm not soon to forget it," he informed her, and she gave him a dirty look before occupying herself with the scenery speeding by.

* * *

"I hate you," she said darkly under her breath, following Aoshi up the stairs. "For one thing, I don't see why we couldn't have just taken the next train right away and traveled at night. It would've saved us time." 

"I dislike traveling at night," Aoshi said calmly.

"Then why did we have to get one room?" she demanded, her voice rising slightly.

"It saved money."

"It would have saved money by sleeping on the train!" she shot back. "And why in an inn like _this_, of all places?"

"If anyone's following you, they wouldn't be likely to look here, now would they?" he asked, closing the door behind her. "And it –"

"Saved money, yeah, whatever," she sighed, and glared in frustration at the single futon on the floor. No matter how big, she couldn't get past the fact that she was forced to spend a night in the same bed as Aoshi. She pleasured men when forced to, but sleeping in the same bed with them as a matter of choice was a completely-new concept – Sano had been the only man she had come close to that. And she wasn't about to start with Aoshi, especially after her promise to Sano.

"_I don't even know how I feel…"_ she chided herself, sitting on the floor dejectedly. _"And Sano probably doesn't love me – he's not he first man to try to buy me off and spouted that crap. _**But he was the first one you believed.**_ Shut up! I can never be sure of any man's feelings toward me after seeing what I've seen. The best thing is to leave your heart behind when the time comes."_ Even with all her reasoning, Aiko couldn't convince herself that she felt nothing for Sano, while her other side couldn't say for sure that she felt something for him.

Aoshi watched interestedly as she talked to herself on the floor, her lips moving in an apparent argument. Shaking his head, he strode over to her and crouched in front of her. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he realized he startled her when she jumped and suddenly slapped him across the face.

"Oh, Aoshi – I'm sorry! It was instinct…" she trailed off, growing pink again from embarrassment.

"It's all. I should have thought," he shrugged it off with ease, and glanced toward the bed. "I can sleep on the floor if it makes you so uncomfortable."

"There's no need for that," she said finally, seriously considering that option for a moment. "I shouldn't have overacted like I did, I suppose."

"It's understandable," he reasoned, straightening and looming above. She felt an odd lump in her throat when he began to pull his shirt off and quickly averted her gaze, unsure of what he was up to. Scooting over to the futon she climbed in, fully dressed, and pulled the blankets over to her chin, her back facing Aoshi as he slid onto the mattress beside her. Squinting her eyes shut she willed herself to fall asleep, acutely aware that a part of her body was highly aroused by having the attractive man in bed with her – especially considering that she had rarely gotten a handsome man as a customer when she was forced to work.

* * *

LEMON!

* * *

Several hours later she shifted in her sleep, and woke up abruptly when she felt resistance. Her mind panicking she tried to jump out of the bed, but froze when she realized she was in someone's embrace. Another moment passed until she realized exactly _whose_ arms she was in, and she almost had a heart attack. One of Aoshi's arms was draped securely around her waist tugging her to him, while the other arm lay on the pillow above her head, just barely touching her loosened hair. Trying to slide her lower body out first, she realized in horror that her legs – and hips – were caught securely between his long legs, and there was no hope of escape. 

"You rotten, sneaky, manipulative, son-of-a-bitch," she growled, trying to hit him but unable to move her arms either. Squirming around, she stopped her movements when she felt something against her lower back suddenly, and came close to fainting when her mind accepted the fact that it was his growing erection – which either meant that she was arousing him in his sleep, or that – "Aoshi, if you're awake, I'm going to castrate you as painfully as possible," she hissed, realizing that he was teasing her. A soft laugh reached her ears, and his warm breath tickled one when he suddenly whispered.

"I wanted to make sure you weren't going to sneak away in the night," he murmured. "And it seems I was right."

"I only tried to 'sneak away' because I found you on top of me!" she informed him acidly, and tried once more to release herself from his grasp. Feeling his hardness growing and noticing that if anything he was only holding her tighter, she stopped once more and forced herself to relax.

"I didn't realize that was such an uncomfortable position to be in," he whispered huskily in her ear. "Or is it because you like a higher position?"

"Aoshi, did you somehow get drunk after I –" Aiko found herself unable to finish her question – or speak at all, for that matter – when he suddenly rolled onto his back and pulled her with him, so that she was straddling his hips, held down firmly by his hands on either side of her body. No matter how lightly they may have rested on her hips, Aiko discovered that Aoshi had grips of steel – and horribly aware that she was wondering if something else about the man was like steel, having been aroused by his tone and words. Glaring down at him, her angry gaze met his remarkable-calm one, and she grit her teeth in frustration. Determined to both get off of him and not arouse him further, she found herself in a rather difficult predicament.

"I see you're lost for words, for once," he noticed her look and grinned, causing frightening images to flash through her mind, sending her wondering what in creation could make the icy ninja grin.

"_I wasn't even sure Aoshi _could_ get drunk, from the way he acts…and I don't smell alcohol,"_ she thought, frantically trying to come up with a way out of this situation. She admitted to herself that he was incredibly attractive, both sexually and mentally, but she didn't relish the idea of sleeping with yet another man who would toss her aside once he came to his senses – like a certain other fighter whom she was sure of her future with already.

"You're awfully silent – and still."

"I'm trying to decide if you're drunk," she told him lightly. He chuckled slightly.

"I never left this room, and I never drank anything since we entered it, I promise," he told her. "I just wanted to see your reaction when you woke up."

"So you know. So you can let me go now," she reasoned, but he only held her harder against himself.

"This is a fairly comfortable position – since you're so little," he added. "I can see why most men find this so pleasurable."

"You're a sick bastard."

"Perhaps," he agreed thoughtfully. "Or perhaps I'm just tired of pretending I don't notice a beautiful woman when I see one."

"_Did he just call me _beautiful_?"_ she thought in shock. _"Wait a sec – get a grip! No getting sidetracked!"_

"When –"

"If."

"_When_ I get off you, I'm going to cut your fingers off one by one, and then stick your stubs in lemon juice," she said grimly, hoping he might react to something and lighten his grip. "And then I'll pull your teeth out one by one as well. Then I'll stick pins in your eyes and tongue, and pour boiling oil in your ears, and –"

"You sound like you're enjoying this fantasy all too well for my comfort," Aoshi interrupted lightly, unable to suppress a slight laugh at the boiling oil comment. She crossed her arms with offended dignity – and unconsciously flounced, accidentally bouncing on top of him.

"_Oh, holy **shit**,"_ she thought, seeing a flash in his eyes.

"That wasn't bad," he commented, shifting underneath her slightly. "On the other hand, it wasn't much. I suppose you like to tease men."

"You're not a man, you're a jackass," she said coldly. "And it wasn't meant to be _anything_. Aoshi, put me down or I'll tell Father you raped me after you kidnapped me."

"Oh, you will?" he asked calmly. She gasped the next second when she felt his grip on her hips tighten roughly. The next second he had lifted her bodily into the air and pulled her back down on top of him, and she groaned to herself when she felt his member rise in arousal. "I think you're just scared, Aiko."

"I don't want to have sex with you," she said, feeling immensely better once she had said it out loud, sure that Aoshi wouldn't continue his antics now.

Surprise, surprise.

"You don't want to have sex with me," he repeated, sounding as if he was considering something. His tone made her heart sink, and her mind reeled. Aoshi Shinomori, the Ice King and revered ninja, was going to _rape_ her?

"_Unbelievable,"_ she thought, and suddenly grabbed his arms. _"Maybe if I do something he'll nod off again – I pray he does something _other_ than rape me."_

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked in surprise, finding the woman on top of him pinning his arms next to his head.

"Well, it seemed to me that you liked it rough," she purred, putting her face next to his. _"There's definitely something in him – but **what**? I've never smelled it before…"_ Turning her mind back to the matter at hand, and armed with the knowledge that he was drugged somehow and would hopefully pass out soon from its effects, she smiled seductively at him, wrapping herself in the cloak of numbness she always did before a job. (Summery for edit: Aiko 'performed' for Aoshi, but the drug wore off before he did anything further, and became unconscious.)

"Mmm…this is more like it," Aoshi growled, as she bounced on top of his almost-fully erect cock, sensing his frustration at the clothing that was between them. She lowered herself down as she continued to rock on him, bringing her covered breasts to his face.

"Like what you see?" she whispered, growing horny at feeling his bulging package between her legs. He moaned when she grabbed his hand to keep him from touching them and smiled innocently at him. "Try to manage without hands, Aoshi," she reprimanded him, and shivered with pleasure when he buried his face in her breasts. As his teeth grazed her nipples as he attempted to drag her top off with his teeth she gasped, tightening her knees around him before she thought. He quickly managed to tear her shirt down with his teeth, leaving her breasts exposed to his gaze. He hungrily gazed at them momentarily before taking a nipple in his mouth, flicking it with his tongue. Aiko stiffened as he took as much of her breast as he could in his mouth and sucked on it, and was unable to control her body from reacting. Unable to bear the other breast so close, Aoshi turned to that one.

After reveling in his ministrations for a bit longer, Aiko pulled away from him and slid down his body, pausing to rub his still-clothed cock between her breasts before continuing so her head was on level with the tent formed in his pants. Smiling up at him as he groaned, she slowly pulled his pants off, and was silently amazed at how large the ninja actually was. Glancing briefly at him, she lightly kissed the head while stroking around the base with a single finger. Her touch elicited a tortured moan from the man, but she ignored him and continued with her actions for a few moments. Suddenly, she engulfed his pulsating hard-on in her mouth, and sucked roughly on it. She switched to licking it lightly, tracing his entire length before working her way back down, nipping occasionally to feel him shudder underneath him. Aiko may have disliked her previous jobs, but she certainly enjoyed the knowledge that she had power over men once they were in her bed.

All but Sano, it seemed.

Concentrating on her task – really just a delay tactic as she waited for the drug to wear off – she took him sideways, working her mouth up and down the length of the swollen package. Humming, she felt the vibrations send a shockwave through his body, and knew he was almost ready. Bobbing her head, she alternately tightened and relaxed her teeth and lips around his cock, feeling him straining as he reached the breaking point. Within moments Aoshi thrust upward, jacking off into her mouth. Discreetly spitting it out – having never been one for swallowing a man's cum – Aiko decided to take it a step further before she decided to tie him up and leave him. She adjusted her skirt around her knees and spread her legs wide, and positioned her open legs on one of his. He shifted beneath her and she rocked into him, starting out slowly. Soon she was humping his leg roughly, as he jerked it in rhythm to her movements.

Aiko felt him suddenly begin to relax, and realized that whatever was in his system was finally wearing down, and causing him to become drowsy. She stopped her motions when she eventually realized that the very horny and pleasured ninja had passed out, taking his sex-drive with him. She sighed, admitting that it was partly a sigh of regret, and moved to the floor with a pillow, more than happy to sleep on the wood floor alone.

* * *

LEMON over!

Summery for those who skipped over: Aiko didn't actually have sex with Aoshi, but managed to just keep him 'happy' until he passed out from the effects of the drug.

* * *

"What…what the hell happened?" Aoshi demanded early that morning, waking with a start. Aiko, who had woken a little before and had dressed, turned to look at him blankly. Their gazes locked momentarily before she turned away calmly, busying herself with a corner of her kimono. Aoshi's gaze slid down and he saw with confusion the stains that were on his pants and the futon beside him, and he blinked in sudden remembrance. 

"So, you _do_ remember," she stated, catching his reaction. "You were drugged somehow. When was the last time you ate or drank something?"

Aoshi looked at her in concern, but saw that Aiko was trying to retain her dignity as best she could.

"When we arrived, I was offered a shot of sake," he thought. "It was late, and I suppose dealing with you dulled my senses." He immediately realized that he said the wrong thing when she leapt to her feet and glared at him angrily, her eyes shining with tears of frustration and embarrassment.

"Oh, it's _my_ fault that the great Aoshi Shinomori let his guard down and got himself drugged with an aphrodisiac?" she demanded. "And then almost raped me? Well, excuse _me_, Shinomori! I'll try to do better next time!" Finished with her rant she flew out of the room, leaving a rather-stunned Aoshi alone. He rubbed his face roughly and groaned. The memories of the night before were hazy, but clear enough that he knew exactly what happened.

"She's right," he mumbled into his palm. "I didn't think – am I losing my control?" he wondered, and then looked up. "I better go after her. Who knows what could happen to her." The sun had barely entered the sky and the sky was already gray and cloudy, with the air misty and foggy, making for poor visibility.

* * *

Chapter four is in the works, for those who care. Please review! 


	4. IV

Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Thanks to all who've reviewed! It took me a while to update, I know, but I've finally done it, so be happy! There's some ensuring tragedy and fluff in this chapter, but nothing too dramatic.You know, just as a side note, I didn't really mean for this to be Sano/OC - I wanted it to be Aoshi! But obviously, things took a whole new twist. If ya don't like what I do, let me know! Also, I've tried looking it up on numerous sites, but I could not find any ideas as to how long it would take to get from Japan to Romania. I looked at an atlas, and yes, you can get there by ship and land both, so I just took a wild guess. I like being as accurate as possible in fics like this, but I'm not able to, unfortunately.

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

Visibility couldn't have mattered less to the enraged Aiko as she stalked through the streets, her mind replaying the scene with Aoshi over again until she came to a halt and shook her head vigorously, unheeding of her hair that was loosely tied in a bun.

"That arrogant bastard," she spit out, catching the attention of a passing man.

"Man problems?"

"You can't imagine," she said in exasperation, beginning to walk again. He caught her arm with a grin and pulled her closer to him. Unfortunately for him, he had no idea what she was capable of – or that she was extremely pissed off to being with.

"Maybe I can help you out with that."

"Maybe I can teach you some _manners_!" With the last word she drove her knee into his groin, and he released her with a yelp. Backing up she pulled her sheath, with the sword still inside, from her waist and pointed it at him angrily. "Back off or you'll regret it."

"You little bitch!" the man growled, and lunged at her. Her sheath caught him in the stomach, and she spun it upward to land a blow to the back of his head, dropping him to the ground.

"Asshole," she muttered, hiding her sheath once more in her kimono. She whirled around when she heard quiet laughter, and expected to find Aoshi standing there, laughing at her. To her surprise, it was an older man – perhaps early forties, but still handsome – who was smiling at her calmly.

"I came to help, but I see I was hardly needed," he stated. She peered at him sharply, but something about him seemed familiar to her, putting her mind at ease.

"I appreciate the thought," she said, and offered her hand briefly. "I'm Aiko Sakajima."

"Souzou Sagara."

"_Sagara?"_ she thought, and her mind quickly made the connection. Deciding to remain silent, and knowing she could trust the man, she shook his hand firmly. "A pleasure to meet you. You look like you're searching for someone."

"Well, I am," he said, taken a little aback. "But it's of no use to look here, I think. Are you traveling alone?"

Thinking back to Aoshi, she paused momentarily – an action not lost on the man – before nodding.

"Now I am," she admitted. "I'm making my way to Romania, back to my parents. I need to deliver something, and then I'm returning to Japan."

"I doubt the person I'm looking for is in Romania, unfortunately," Souzou said. "Or else I would gladly accompany you."

"You're the leader of the former Sekihoutai, aren't you?" she asked quietly, pulling him away from the main path. He started in surprise, but she rushed on. "How did you survive? Your body was _seen_."

"Ninja have their ways, and playing dead is one of my specialties," he said bitterly. "I regretted leaving the two boys alone, but there was no choice."

"My father is Taro Sakajima, one of your supporters during the war, and fled once the Sekihoutai was destroyed," she informed him. "He would be delighted to see you once more. He's near death, I'm afraid, but knowing that you're alive would ease his mind greatly. He spoke of you often before the disease affected his mind. Please, come with me and let him see for himself – it's the only way he'd believe the news. You can return to Japan with me and continue your search – I'll help, if you like. But please…"

"I see your father means quite a lot to you," he commented, and she nodded silently. Considering his options – and assuming he would be safer traveling with the daughter of Taro Sakajima – he nodded shortly, taking her arm. "All right, I'll go with you. I recall that your father was a just man. But tell me the truth – is he really near death, or is that just a tale to get me to come?"

"It's not," she shook her head, gazing directly in his eyes. "Mother fell into depression, and in one of his lucid moments Father ordered this made, to remind her of happier times. I volunteered to retrieve it for him, and now I'm heading back with it." She handed the paper to him and he inspected it sharply, and nodded once more.

"I recognize your mother," he said finally. "All right, I suppose I believe you, Miss Aiko. But we better hurry if we're to make the train. Do you have anything to fetch?"

"I have money in my bag as well," she told him, gesturing to her waistline. "I hide it underneath my kimono for safekeeping."

"We had better hurry," he said, tucking her arm underneath his own. Aiko allowed him to lead her down the street, feeling as safe with this man as she did with her own father.

* * *

"Damn that woman," Aoshi muttered, searching the streets. He hadn't found a trace of her anywhere, and was at a lost as to where she would have gotten off to. "Hey, have you seen a woman in a blue kimono with pink flowers on it?"

"Oh, _that_ woman?" the storekeeper grunted, and a bemused look crossed his face. "I'll say so. She beat up a man not far from here that tried to force himself on her."

"Where'd she go?" the ninja demanded.

"An older man – I'd say early forties, at the most – approached her after that. They talked for a few minutes and walked off together, her arm in his."

"_**Damn** that woman!"_ Aoshi thought forcefully, stalking away from the amused man. "What the hell is she thinking, walking off with a strange man? Especially in this part of town…" His thought trailed off, his mind wondering if it was a stranger at all. He shrugged it off and stood still for a moment, thinking of his next moves. "I need a vacation anyway – though this is hardly relaxing," he grunted, deciding on his course of action and making his way to the train station.

* * *

"Are you running from someone?" Souzou asked her, when they were well on their way. She looked at him surprise, not aware she had given any clues that she had been with someone. "You paused when asked if you were alone, and I noticed you're more alert than people usually are when traveling – especially when a man passes. A former lover?"

"Hardly," Aiko shook her head in denial, well aware that her pink face insinuated something entirely different. "I knew him years ago – it's complicated, but I felt it was better not to travel with him. He practically forced me to go with him in the first place, leaving me no options," she shrugged.

"What is his name, if I may ask?"

"Aoshi Shinomori," she said reluctantly, and he nodded in recognition.

"I have heard the name."

"I'm not surprised," she replied dryly. "We were betrothed before the Meji Revolution, when Father had to flee. Father decided it was best that I not be tied to someone whose life was uncertain, and released me from it several years ago, telling me I was old enough to make up my own mind on marriage. As long as he approved," she added with a smile that quickly faded. "But I doubt that he considered the possibility that I would run into Aoshi while in Japan."

"Quite likely," Souzou agreed absently, gazing out the window. She fell silent as well, her hand resting on the sheathed sword she lay across her lap. Her fingers twitched occasionally, tugging at the fringe as she frowned. "You appear to be worried."

"Hm?" she blinked up at him. Glancing down at her lap she realized what she was doing, and tucked the sword away once more. "It's a nervous habit, I'm afraid. It was Father's, and I suppose that fact makes me feel safe. If I may ask, who are you looking for? You mentioned two boys."

"Sanosuke and Tsukioka were only children, but I took them into the Sekihoutai during the war and tried to protect them," he sighed. "For all I know they could be dead, but I need to know for sure."

"I've never met a man named Tsukioka, but Sanosuke seems familiar," she revealed, unwilling to say she knew where he lived out of fear he would leave her as soon as possible.

"Really?"

"Yes. I think he had taken your name – Sanosuke Sagara, it was," she nodded, feeling guilty for hiding the truth from the man helping her. In the next moment, however, all guilty thoughts left her head when he suddenly smiled at her.

"You know him, don't you," he said calmly, and she gasped.

"What…"

"You recognized the names."

"Y-yes," she admitted reluctantly. "I didn't mean to hide the truth from you – but my father really would love to see you again. And I know where Sano lives as well. When we are finished in Romania, I'll take you to him in Japan, I promise. How did you know?"

"Your face," he told her gently. "Something in your face changed when you spoke his name. You knew him well, if I might add." She realized with horror her face was turning pink and tried to force it to go back to normal.

"I'd rather not talk about it," she said stiffly, and he nodded.

"All right. It's none of my business, now that I'm sure you know him and have a promise you'll take me to him."

Aiko remained silent and stared out the window, her mind racing.

"_Now I _have_ to go back…and I don't want to. I don't want to see him again…"

* * *

_

"How long has it been since you were with Sano?" Souzou asked her calmly a few mornings later, and she choked on her breakfast. When she had cleared her airways out, she stared in amazement at him.

"What are you…"

"You haven't eaten much food for a few days, and turn green every time you smell it," he reprimanded her. "I may be a bachelor, but I'm not a fool, Aiko. I repeat, how long has it been since Sano and yourself shared a bed together?"

Aiko almost choked again, but tried to remain calm. Quickly counting her head, she blanched.

"Almost a month…Please don't tell me you think I'm preg…it was one time!" she blurted out, before clapping a hand over her mouth in mortification. He laughed easily at her expression before becoming solemn.

"I'm afraid you're displaying a classic case of pregnancy, Aiko."

"They'll die…" she moaned, hiding her face in her hands. "I can't face them now…"

"I see," he mused. "Are you sure he is the father?" At this question Aiko sat straight up, now more angry than embarrassed. "Don't worry – your gestures are subtle, but a man can tell when a woman does that for a living. We need to be sure."

"Damn ba – yes, I'm sure," she managed calmly, interrupting her swearing. "I'm _very_ sure," she added for emphasis, but he was already lost in thought. "And please don't suggest we pretend we're married," she said, cutting off his musing. "That's even worse. I'd rather face my parents."

"If that's what you want," he said gently, only wishing to spare her the embarrassment and shame. But she was a grown woman, and he certainly had no standing to enforce his opinion on her. "Now, I think some miso soup would be good for your stomach," he said thoughtfully, and waved to a server.

"This is unbelievable," she moaned, burying her face in her palms as Souzou cheerfully ordered for her, ignoring the knowing smirks of the server.

* * *

"Riding the train is not going to harm your health – not this early, anyway," he added thoughtfully, as they sat in their cab. Aiko was growing restless, coming down with a case of cabin fever, and Souzou had to admit that he too missed being outside on his own two feet.

"Would it be quicker to find transportation on our own?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"No – and we would still have to ride," Souzou told her. "Now, why don't you tell me what you know of Sanosuke, please."

"Uh…actually, I know next to nothing," Aiko admitted, taken aback momentarily. "He used to be known as Zanza, a fighter-for-hire, but he quit when he met Kenshin Himura. He lives with Himura and the others in a dojo run by a Kaoru Kamiya. That's all, I'm afraid."

"I see…" Souzou nodded, and watched as she nodded off, her head resting on his shoulder. Shaking his head at the state of things, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders protectively as he gazed out the window, deep in contemplation. _"I never imagined I would find things like this."

* * *

_

"You have a very nice place here," Souzou remarked, as they stepped out of the carriage. A pair of iron gates blocked entrance to the grounds, as the lush grass sprawled against a walkway that led to a rather-large building.

"Father was able to regain much of his lost fortune when we escaped from Japan," Aiko informed him. Her slender fingers pressed against a spot, and the gates sprung open. When they had crossed into the property they swung shut once more, and Aiko led him up to the building. "We only have a few retainers now," she continued, already slightly out of breath. "Father prefers it like that, and so do I. The ones we have are old family friends, so it makes it more like a family than usual."

"I see," he nodded, and inspected her sharply as she rang the bell. Her face was flushed from the chill in the air, but she was panting slightly and her abdomen had grown a little larger than whey they had first met – a barely noticeable change for anyone else, but the sharp-eyed ninja had watched her change as they traveled to Romania.

"That's odd…" she thought, frowning a little as no one answered. "Usually someone answers by now…maybe they went out? But with Mother like she is…I didn't think she'd improve so quickly." Souzou noticed her clutching the fragile paper in her hand, and covered her clammy fingers with his own cool hand easily.

"Let's go in, then," he suggested, and she looked up at him in surprise. With a little surprise of his own, he realized she looked apprehensive, even scared. Closing his hand over the doorknob he pushed, and the door yielded to his touch.

"Something's wrong," Aiko choked out, her blade sliding into her hand instantly. Souzou followed as she inspected the rooms, reluctant to let her in front of him but unable to navigate the building himself. "The electricity's been cut…and the phones as well," she noticed with a glance, and gripped her hilt tighter than before. "Someone knew the layout of this place well…Kayo, you bastard."

"Hm?" Souzou blinked, but she ignored him as she made her way up the stairs. He kept close behind her – so close he tripped over her when she abruptly stopped in front of a doorway.

"This is Father and Mother's room," she said quietly. "I'm…scared to go in. Souzou, can you…"

"Of course," he nodded, and pushed the doors open.

* * *

"Aoshi? What are you doing here?" Kenshin asked in surprise, as the ninja strode into the dojo.

"I need to speak to Sagara," he said calmly, and Sano came out with a frown.

"What do you want? Where's Aiko?" he demanded, and Aoshi turned to him coolly.

"We had a problem. She left, and is apparently traveling with a strange man she met at the port. I suggest you go to Romania as quickly as possible. She has a brother, correct? Kayo?"

"Yes," Kenshin nodded. "Why?"

"I've heard rumors concerning him as I came back. He's supposedly headed to Romania as well – he left before, actually, and is most likely there and back by this point."

"Damn it!" Sano muttered, and raced past Aoshi to the road.

"Sano? Where are you going?" Kaoru called, but he ignored them.

"Romania," Aoshi replied, and turned around.

"Aoshi."

"…"

"Why did you come here?" Kenshin demanded. Aoshi remained silent for a moment before a small chuckle escaped him.

"Aiko obviously loves that man – and he loves her. They need each other, and if my guess is correct, she'll need him desperately soon."

* * *

"Oh god!" Aiko cried, and Souzou pressed his palm into her lower back as her knees wobbled. A woman resembling Aiko lay in the bed, her white gown and sheets stained with dark crimson. Blood was spilt across the entire room, and another man lay by the door, a knife in his hand. She rushed over to the bed and grasped her mother's hand tightly. "Mother…" she choked out, lowering her face to the cold hand. She suddenly looked up when a noise reached their ears, and stumbled to the other side of the room to see another man, sword in hand, laying face-down on the rug next to the bed. Blood seeped from underneath him, and his right arm was almost severed.

"Sakajima…" Souzou murmured, inspecting the other man's wounds.

"Father! Oh no, Father!" Aiko prayed, kneeling next to the man. Gently turning him over, she rested his head on her lap, and jumped when his eyes suddenly opened.

"Ai-Aiko…?"

"Father?" she blinked back her tears in surprise, her voice trembling. "Don't worry, Father. I'll get a doctor, and we'll get you patched up and you'll be better in no time…"

"Aiko, I've taught you better than this," he said faintly, and she broke off her rambling.

"Father…who…"

"Kayo."

"No…"

"He certainly has grown skilled," he admitted, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Aiko…I'm so glad you came back in time. Kayo left us hours ago…"

"Father…you've been here, alone, all this time?" she realized, and held his head to hers. "Oh, Father!"

"Aiko…please, do not cry."

"But, Father…you and Mother will never be grandparents…I never got to give her the picture…"

"G-grandparents?"

Aiko's eyes widened uncertainly, and her father realized what she meant in an instant. His gaze suddenly hardened, and she found it difficult to meet his eyes.

"You're not married, and yet you're bearing another man's child?"

"Father…Father, it wasn't…it's not what you think…" she tried to protest, but the elder man gave no sign of hearing her.

"Your mother would die of shame. It's better she's been killed, and spared this knowledge."

"Father…!"

"You've brought great shame on this family, Aiko," he continued harshly. "I taught you the way of the sword, a way of honor and truth, and you return home like this? You're not worthy of bearing the name Sakajima – the same as your brother in the end, it seems. I'm grateful to your brother…in killing me, he spared me the pain of living with your shame…"

"Father! Father, please…don't die like this…" Aiko begged, cradling his head tearfully. "Please…don't die hating me! Father!"

"Aiko," Souzou pulled her away from the body gently, her kimono and hands stained with his blood. "Aiko…"

"He hates me," she sobbed, turning to the elder man for comfort. "He died hating me…how can I ever bear it? My father's last words were ones of hate…" Souzou held her trembling form comfortingly, trying to offer some semblance of love that she was unable to receive the man who had raised her with fatherly care.

* * *

I am NO freaking good at death scenes or tragedy scenes, am I...oh well. Plesae review!

* * *


	5. V

Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Fluff! Action, revelations, and lots of Sano/Aiko fluff! WOO!...Sorry, just happy to post another chapter.

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

"Bastards…" Kayo muttered, his blood-stained blade hidden away in his sheath as he rode the horse to the train station. "I only wish my dear sister had returned home in time to see the look on Mother's face as I sliced her throat open with this blade of mine. And dear Father…trying to defend her, just like that old fool Jenta. Neither of them could stand up against my sword – the apprentice surpasses the teacher in the end after all."

Glancing out at the hills, his grin was marred briefly by a frown. "Now all that's left is that damn woman who calls herself my sister…When I find her, she'll wish she had suffered the quick end of our parents."

* * *

"How are you feeling now?" Souzou asked quietly that evening. Aiko had collapsed in his arms after crying herself sick, and he had moved her away from the house to an inn in the town. Her eyelids fluttered, and she groaned. Her hand moved to her abdomen, and he leaned back. "This stress isn't good for the child," he commented, and she nodded.

"I know."

"So, you intend to bear it."

"Of course. I have nothing left to live for but the child," she said sadly. "Sano won't ever find out where I've gone, and I don't intend to burden him with this. It's my sin to bear."

"You consider the child a punishment?" he asked curiously.

"I consider the circumstances a punishment for sins committed," she replied calmly. "The child will be a blessing, and a chance for redemption."

"It could be…that Sanosuke is just as in need of redemption as you are," Souzou said gently, and her eyes widened momentarily before closing again.

"I shared my bed with many men," she said, so low Souzou could barely hear her. "Just because Sano happens to be the father of my child means nothing. It could have easily been any of the others."

"But fate chose Sano."

"I'm so very tired…" she whispered, her hand clenching into a fist. "So very tired…I just want to sleep forever and not wake up to this thing they call reality. An ugly, cruel, and unredeemable thing it is…"

"And something we all must face," he told her. "Perhaps this life is a way to cleanse ourselves in order to become worthy of an afterlife."

"It's worth nothing."

* * *

"How is the young woman doing?" the elderly woman asked. She and her husband ran the inn, and had gladly taken in Souzou and Aiko, assuming she was his wife. "I noticed she was pregnant."

"How did you…"

"It's obvious to another woman," she replied cheerfully. "How far along?"

"About two months, now," he said, and she nodded.

"I'll make something to settle her stomach. Is she awake?"

"Yes, thank you," he nodded, and his gaze followed the woman as she strolled off.

* * *

"It's been almost a month since we arrived," Aiko mentioned one morning, sitting by the window. "When can we go back to Japan?"

"I thought you didn't want to return."

"I can't stay here," she shook her head. "There are many places in Japan where I can live in solitude, and he'll never know I've returned."

"If Sanosuke is remotely as headstrong as he was as a child, he won't give up."

"And I won't either," she said stubbornly. "I want to leave before I'm unable to travel, Souzou. Please, help me get back. Once we return, I'll keep my promise and give you directions to the Kamiya-Kasshin dojo where he stays. I haven't forgotten."

"All right, then," Souzou nodded, and stood up behind her. "We'll leave on the next available train. But we'll take it slowly."

"Whatever you say, then," she agreed, and he frowned at her back as he strode from the room.

"_She hasn't stepped out of this room since we came here,"_ he thought, heading out of the inn and into the street. _"And neither has she shown any emotion – other than determination not to see Sanosuke again. Aiko seems to have lost all connection to this world…and it may be too late to save her from despair."_ Souzou realized with a start that he regarded the young woman no longer as a traveling companion or a means to find Sano, but as someone close to him – almost like family.

* * *

"We're just crossing the border into Boykit," Souzou informed her, as she gazed out the window of the carriage. Instead of traveling mainly by sea, as they had done before, they had decided on a slower and slightly-easier land trip, traveling through the Ukraine and Russia to a sea port, where they would take a ship to Japan.

"That's good. Not much longer, right?" she asked, recognizing the name of the town near the middle of the great country.

"No," he nodded, helping her out of the carriage. They had arrived at the train station, which would take them from Boykit all the way to Magadan, where they could find a ship to go to Japan. "We're halfway there, now. And only in a few weeks, too."

"I don't want to slow us down," she shrugged, looking towards the train station. "We don't have to hurry – we arrived in plenty of time. Could we please go walk through the forests nearby? It may be winter, but they're supposed to be beautiful in snow."

"Not for too long," he agreed, pulling his own jacket tighter to protect against the cold. Aiko, obviously having grown larger as time progressed, wore heavy boots to protect her feet from the cold, as well as dark indigo skirts and a heavy black jacket and hood over a thick white sweater. Her hair was in a low bun to avoid the heavy hood, which hung over her eyes. Souzou's cream-colored hat and jacket were just as heavy, over black boots and shoes and a dark-green shirt.

"Thank you," she smiled, and looked up at the gray sky. "Maybe, if we're lucky, it'll snow. You think it will?"

"Maybe," he shrugged, taking her elbow as they headed through town. A young man followed them, going unnoticed for the most part in black boots, pants, a dark-brown jacket, and a white shirt and red headband.

* * *

"Oh, it is!" she realized happily, as they made their way through the outskirts of the forest. Flakes of snow fell lightly from the sky, and it seemed that they had been removed totally from any surrounding civilization. "Isn't it amazing?" she asked quietly, and Souzou smiled to hear her sound so happy. "I've always wanted to see snow like this, and now…"

"Who's there?" Souzou demanded, whirling around abruptly. She stopped in surprise as she followed his gaze, and her eyes widened as she saw the young man before them, his hands clenched into fists.

"Aiko…" the tall figure managed, and she gasped, turning deathly pale.

"Sano-Sanosuke? Is that you?" Souzou asked in surprise, shocked at seeing the boy who had grown into a man he didn't even recognize.

"And who the hell are – _Captain Sagara_?" Sano froze in his stance, his hands falling limply to the side. "You're…dead…" he managed after a long silence, and Souzou took a step forward.

"It's easy enough to fool them," he said calmly. "Sano…I've been looking for you, Sanosuke. I tried to find you after the War, but you seemed to have disappeared."

"So you found Aiko," Sano said slowly, and she took a step forward. "And you got her pregnant, you bastard! What kind of man are you, to do that? I love her, and now I find her with _you_, a dead man! My hero – I took your name, and this is what happens? You'll pay for what you put me through, Sagara!"

"Sano!" Aiko cried. Souzou moved in front of her as Sano lunged, but the man formerly known as Zanza stumbled to a halt when she moved in front of Souzou.

"So…you love him, do you?" he asked bitterly, and she choked on her own words.

"Sano…this baby…Sano, it's not his," she managed, and he turned away in despair.

"I see…it's another man's child, and he wouldn't have you?"

"Sano, you don't see at all!" she said impatiently, rushing on tearfully. "Sano, this baby is _yours_! Yours, Sanosuke Sagara! I'm going to bear your child, and no one else's!"

"M-mine…?" Sano whispered, and slowly turned around. Souzou stood behind Aiko calmly, and she glared at the young man in frustration.

"Yes, yours!" she repeated, her emotions carrying her away. "Are you happy now? I couldn't tell you – how could I, when I left? I couldn't…it wouldn't be fair to ask you to bear this burden with me…I wasn't going to return – Sano –!" She was cut off when Sano swept her into his arms in a crushing embrace, which he quickly loosened slightly feeling her newly-acquired girth.

"Motherhood suits you," he mumbled into her hair, and she pressed her face against his chest.

"Sano…"

"How touching – it seems you've forgotten our beloved, dearly-departed parents quickly, Aiko," Kayo sneered, appearing from the trees. Sano clutched her to him as a dying man clung to a piece of wreckage, and Souzou's hand moved to his sword.

"Kayo…how could you?" she demanded quietly, glaring at her brother with hate. Her palm pressed against her womb in an instinctive protective gesture, which didn't go unnoticed by her brother.

"Let's not go there," he smiled calmly. "But you'll wish you had died then after I'm through with you, though. Oh, if you could only have seen their faces when I arrived…"

"I bet," she said bitterly. "Some way to repay them, Kayo."

"_Repay_ them?" he repeated incredulously. "You can't be serious. That man took me in out of pity! You were always the favorite – the blood-child, Aiko. I was merely the whelp fostered by the ever-so-generous Sakajima."

"You fool!" she yelled angrily. "They loved you just as much as…they loved…me…" She stumbled over the last few words, and Kayo smirked at them.

"Father disowned you as well? I made sure he would live a while longer – hopefully until you arrived. So, I suppose we're equal now, my dear, dear sister."

"Don't call me that, you bastard!" Aiko cried, stepping away from Sano angrily. "You have no right to –"

"I didn't come here to chit-chat, Aiko," Kayo said, cutting her off roughly. "I came here to finish the job. Once the Sakajimas are all dead, I can take my place as the head of the power we wield!"

"Aiko!" Souzou shouted, as the swordsman suddenly attacked her. She braced herself for the blade, but was shocked as Sano barreled forward to meet Kayo, his gaze dark with the promise of death.

"I won't let you near them, you bastard! I'll keep them safe – my wife and child!"

"Sano…" Aiko whispered, and then winced as Souzou pulled her sharply back. "Sano!" she cried, seeing blood splatter the snow.

"Heh. That's the best you can do?" Sanosuke jeered, his arm hanging by his side. "I only need one arm to defeat someone like you, you coward."

"Come and try!" Kayo challenged, and Sano grinned.

"Gladly, you scum," he agreed, and shot forward.

"So fast!" Souzou breathed, as his former ward landed a blow to Kayo's face, knocking him to the ground.

"He's unconscious," Sano observed, looking down at the man. "Should I kill him now, or what? I mean, I don't feel like dealing with him later, but – Aiko!" He rushed to her as she suddenly sank to her knees, and crouched next to her. "Aiko?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm…fine…"

"Just faint," Souzou agreed, as Sano picked her up. "She's rather delicate right now, obviously. We'll miss our train if we delay much longer, and…Never mind. We can stay overnight, I suppose, and take some time to recover. Leave me with this man for a moment, Sanosuke. Take her into town and find a room."

"Captain Sagara…" Sano murmured, but habits were seeped in his bones and he obeyed after a moment's hesitation. Aiko, hovering between consciousness and sleep and her eyes half-closed, leaned against his chest heavily.

"Sano…"

"Shh…" he quieted her. _"This feeling…holding her, her body against mine…it feels right, somehow."

* * *

_

"How is she doing?" Souzou asked quietly, arriving in the room after a rather-long time had passed. Sano looked up from gazing down at Aiko, who lay sleeping in the bed.

"Captain…what did you do to him?" he asked, and Souzou slid the door shut silently.

"He'll never wield a weapon again – if the wolves let him survive," the Captain said shortly, and Sano grinned thinly.

"Aiko's fine, according to that old woman downstairs. Just sleeping. So, you didn't kill him?"

"There's been enough death," Souzou told him calmly, and moved to leave the room. "I'll get my own room, Sanosuke. We'll resume our journey as soon as you like."

"Captain…" Sano watched as the older man left them alone, and glanced down at the woman on the bed. "Aiko…how could you think to bear it alone?" he wondered to himself, stretching out beside her. Curling up against her figure he held her against his body, inhaling her scent deeply. Waking slightly, she shifted around so her arm slinked around his neck, while the other folded against her stomach. Sano grinned, and exhaled a sigh of relief, feeling that things were once again going his way.

* * *

"Sanosuke…" Aiko, still groggy from her sleep, rolled over a little at the feel of his arms around her, and pushed him a little to wake him up. "Sano?"

"Mmm…?" he mumbled something in his sleep, and she sighed determinedly.

"Sanosuke Sagara, I'm going to get you up if I have to go into labor to do it!" she said forcefully, and the word 'labor' seemed to have an immediate effect on the young man, who still needed time to become accustomed to the idea of being a father.

"Wha-huh? Labor – it's coming?" he demanded, shooting awake. She grabbed his arm before he could start a ruckus and shook her head in amusement.

"No, Sano, I just wanted you to wake up."

"Well, why couldn't you just _poke_ me or something?" he asked, and she giggled.

"I tried that."

"Oh." Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, he crossed his legs and peered at her. "How're you feeling? You doing okay – sleep well? Dya need anything? Are you hungry, or want to go back to sleep, or –"

"Sano!" she interrupted his questions patiently, suppressing another sigh. "_No_, Sano, I'm fine, really. I just wanted you to wake up, that's all."

"I see – you missed me," he smirked, holding her against him once more. She snorted in protest, but allowed herself to be held by him quietly briefly before laughing.

"How could I? You were right next to me!"

"Yeah, but I was asleep," he pointed out, and she nodded.

"Yeah…I missed you," she admitted, and her arms suddenly wrapped around his waist tightly. She buried her face in his chest and clung to him, and he blinked in surprise at the sudden shift in moods. "I…I've been so lonely, even with Souzou here with me. I missed…I missed you, Sano. I wanted you here with me…"

"Well, all ya had to do was _tell_ me, after all," he informed her quietly. "I would've come running. And I did anyways, once Shinomori told me you went running off with some strange guy."

"He did?" she asked in surprise, looking up at him. He nodded, and she laid her head back on his chest. "Oh…"

"I don't know about you, but I'm starving," he said suddenly, swinging his legs over the edge of the futon. "I could eat a horse!"

* * *

I'm not sure whether it's too sappy or what...oh well, it was fun to write it. I hope this was all good! Now...is Kayo dead, or alive?...You'll have to find out for certain another chapter! Please review!


	6. VI

Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

I have to admit, I'm a little sad that I haven't gotten any reviews for the new chapters yet, but I know you guys all have lives, so don't worry about it. Oh, the agony of keeping them in-character...it's hard! But it's also challenging in a fun way, so I'm not complaining. After all, when you write fanfiction, that's a responsiblity you take on yourself.

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

"Geez, Sano, she's as big as a house!" Yahiko gaped, as the three travelers finally made it to back to Japan and the Kamiya-Kasshin dojo after a long journey, complicated by a rough voyage over the sea. Aiko was now about seven months pregnant, and in a very touchy stage of her mood swings.

"Yahiko!" Kaoru scolded him, smacking him upside the head in annoyance. "That's not very nice at all!"

"Hey, kid. C'mere," Sano gestured, and Yahiko followed the tall man inside the dojo. After a few moments, a loud bang and a yell reached their ears, and Aiko sighed.

"Sorry,"

"It's nice to see you again, Miss Aiko," Kenshin greeted her calmly, and she shook her head with an amused sort-of smile.

"Sano and I were married before we left Russia by a traveling monk," she informed them, and Kaoru gasped.

"That's wonderful! We'll have to have a celebration as soon as we can, and –"

"Nothin' doing, missy," Sano interrupted, striding back towards them. "Aiko and I agreed we didn't want any fuss, considering certain circumstances."

"Oh…_oh_," Kaoru paused for a moment as the implications hit her, and nodded, closing her mouth without further protest.

"I'm sure you're all hungry," Kenshin said cheerfully, eyeing Souzou briefly with a practiced eye before turning around. "I just finished preparing dinner – perfect timing as usual, Sano."

"Thanks," Sano nodded, and went over to Aiko. The others watched, trying to be inconspicuous, as Sano helped Aiko up to the dojo, having never seen the tall man fuss over anyone like that. Souzou appeared both amused and used to it by now.

"This is Souzou Sagara, by the way," Aiko introduced him calmly, trying to shoo Sano away, and their jaws dropped. "It's rather complicated – he can explain over dinner. I'm starving," she looked around eagerly, and Kaoru led her away from her protective husband over to the kitchen.

* * *

"Thank you," Aiko sighed, sitting down heavily on the cushion. "I love him, but he's gotten worse as time's passed. I can't blame him, exactly, but it's nice to get a breather every now and then. Once we got off the ship, Souzou distracted him for a bit for me, but that was the last time he's let me out of his sight."

"I have to admit, I'm surprised how Sano's acting," Kaoru admitted. "I mean, I've known him for such a long time, and he's like a different person."

"Hey! Give that back, you little bastard!"

"Well, almost," Kaoru amended, and Aiko giggled. Leaning forward suddenly, she grinned at the pregnant woman. "So, I bet it's been a while since you've been able to talk to another girl, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has," Aiko nodded, and smiled back. "I'd like it if we could be friends, Kaoru. I hope it's not an imposition, but I was wondering if Sano and I could stay here until the baby is born – or at least he finally gets a job and pays you back for everything."

"Oh, Sano's done so much, the only debt he owes is to the Akabeko," Kaoru waved her hand calmly. "And of course you can stay here! It'll be nice to have another woman around to talk to – Yahiko and Kenshin get boring after a while."

"I know Sano is glad to be home," Aiko mentioned, looking around. "This dojo…it may lack students, but it seems a wonderful place. Miss Kaoru…"

"Kaoru, please."

"Kaoru, then," Aiko agreed. "Kaoru, I would be honored if you would teach the Kamiya-Kasshin technique. It would be beneficial as exercise, and I need to keep in practice. But don't let Sano know – he seems to think if I walk I'll somehow go into labor any moment."

"I would honored to teach you, Aiko!" Kaoru's face lit up, clearly pleased at having another student. "I know some great exercises that would be nice and easy for you to handle."

"Thank you very much," Aiko bowed her head slightly, but Kaoru laughed nervously and waved her hands in protest.

"No, please – let's just be friends," she protested, and Aiko nodded with a smile. Kaoru noticed that the woman, who she had only seen twice from a distance, seemed to glow with an inner light and also appeared completely contented and at peace with herself.

* * *

"That was delicious," Sano sighed, leaning back after the meal was done. "I mean it. Missy, your cooking has really improved since I've been gone."

"Kenshin's been teaching me," Kaoru allowed, still touchy about her cooking talent but determined not to lose her temper. Souzou had explained his past to them as they eat, and Kenshin seemed to take the story in his usual calm manner.

"Sorry for the house comment I said earlier," Yahiko apologized suddenly, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. Aiko placed her palm on her swollen abdomen and smiled at him warmly.

"Don't worry about," she told him. "Heaven knows Sano here makes enough comments to last me three pregnancies."

"Hey!" he protested amid the laughter, and was ignored.

"By the way…how many children are you doing to have, Sano?" Kenshin asked, the glint in his eye betraying his teasing. Sano, however, didn't catch it and promptly choked as Aiko pretended to seriously consider the question.

"Hmm…how does four sound to you, Sanosuke?" she peered at her husband, who was quickly caught by Souzou as he fell over backwards in shock. "Relax, Sano!" she laughed, and patted him on the cheek as he pushed himself upright once more. "We're only teasing."

"That's not fair," he grumbled, and Kenshin laughed nervously.

"Sorry, Sanosuke, but I couldn't resist," he admitted, earning a good-natured glare from his friend.

"Watch it, buddy," he said warningly, but was interrupted by a yawn from Aiko.

"Oh, sorry," she shook her head as her eyes watered from the yawn. "I guess I'm more tired than I thought I was."

"I'll show you to your room," Kaoru volunteered, and Aiko stopped Sano from rising.

"You sit and catch up with your friends, Sano," she ordered, beginning to follow Kaoru out of the room. "I just want to sleep, after all – you make me nervous, watching me all the time."

"Good night," Souzou called, and she waved back before closing the door.

"Souzou, are you staying here as well?" Kenshin asked, and the ninja nodded briefly.

"If it's all right with Miss Kaoru," he said, and Yahiko shrugged.

"I don't see why she'd care," he thought, before turning to the fighter with an evil grin. "So, Sanosuke, how's fatherhood working for you?"

"You little punk…"

"I was just wondering the same thing," Kenshin interrupted them calmly. "You seem well-suited to it, in my opinion. I'm happy for you, Sanosuke."

"Thanks, Kenshin," Sano said awkwardly, and took another drink of sake. "It really wears on my nerves, though."

"Maybe if you didn't haunt her every step, you'd be more relaxed," Souzou pointed out with a laugh, and Sano groaned in dismay.

"Captain…!"

"He has a point," Kenshin agreed with a chuckle, and Yahiko ignored them in favor of more food.

* * *

"I appreciate all this, Kaoru," Aiko said sleepily, as Kaoru helped her into a nightgown. "It means a lot, having another woman around to talk to…"

"It's my pleasure," Kaoru said quietly, waiting as the other woman lowered herself onto the futon before heading to the door. "You're Sano's wife, after all. It's the least I can do. Sleep well, Aiko."

"Good night, Kaoru…" Aiko trailed off as sleep overtook her, and Kaoru quietly slipped out of the room.

* * *

"You take a step forward, and swing!" Kaoru instructed Aiko a few days later, the two women out in the training yard with Yahiko. Kenshin and Souzou had taken Sano out for a walk – to give Aiko a break, actually, and take the young man's mind off his worrying for once – leaving the other three in relative peace.

"I see – it's different than my technique," Aiko nodded thoughtfully, and copied Kaoru's movements with precision.

"To be honest, I don't understand why you want to learn the Kamiya-Kasshin style when you've mastered your own," Kaoru admitted, watching her latest pupil critically. "Not that I'm complaining or anything."

"Well, the Kamiya-Kasshin style is easier on me right now," the other woman admitted, splitting her concentration between practicing with Yahiko and talking. "And it never hurts to learn something new in swordsmanship, after all. It may come in handy one day – and combining techniques to form my own mastery is what I excel in."

"I see," Kaoru nodded, and paused their conversation briefly to correct Aiko's stance. "You're not bad as a beginner – a little aggressive, but I suppose that's because of your previous experience with a sword," she continued, and Aiko made a noise of agreement in her throat.

"Yes."

"Hey, aren't you two girls going to work at all?" Yahiko demanded, and Kaoru immediately bonked him with her practice sword.

"Get to work yourself!" she yelled.

"Make me, ugly!" he taunted, sticking her tongue out at her. Aiko paused in her own work to watch the two begin to fight with surprised amusement, before shrugging and returning to swinging it easily through the air. She suddenly froze in mid-swing, and Kaoru, noticing, rushed over.

"Are you all right, Aiko?" she asked, and the other woman suddenly smiled.

"It kicked!" she told them happily, and Kaoru squealed.

"Really?" she exclaimed, and bent over Aiko's abdomen. "Can I feel?"

"Me too?" Yahiko asked eagerly, caught up in the moment before shrugging awkwardly and turning away. Aiko caught his shoulder and smiled at him with a nod.

"Of course!"

* * *

"It kicked?" Sano asked in shock, and she nodded. "That's great!"

"Sano – it's not going to kick just because you want it to!" she exclaimed, a little embarrassed, when he suddenly pressed his head against her abdomen, eagerly waiting for it to move again for him. "Sano, please get off. I want to take a bath," she told him, and he immediately backed up.

"Sorry."

"It's all right – it's your prerogative to be happy," she said, and hugged him tightly before turning to find Kaoru. "Now…where's the bath anyway?"

* * *

"Are you feeling all right, Aiko?" Souzou asked quietly, crouching next to her as she sat on the porch. "You haven't moved from this spot in hours."

"I just haven't felt like it," she replied with a shrug, gazing into the distance.

"You haven't been practicing with Miss Kaoru either," he added, and she made no sign of hearing. "Aiko, are you sure you're all right?" he repeated, and she glared at him in annoyance. In the middle of the eighth month, Aiko had suddenly grown languid and testy to everyone – including Sano and Kaoru – and the occupants of the dojo were both on the edges of their nerves and worried about her. The first pregnancy usually wasn't so easy as it had been for Aiko, and Dr. Genzai had expressed concern over the difficulty of the upcoming labor.

"I'm _fine_, Souzou," she informed him tightly. "Can you go away now?"

"All right," he replied calmly, standing up but only retreating as far as the dojo entrance out of her line of vision to keep an eye on her. Sano had been forced to the Akabeko with Kenshin and Yahiko to calm the anxious young man down and to keep him from getting into another fight, and Kaoru was busy with her own practice. Aoshi had stopped by several times in the past weeks, but business with the Oniwaban and training Misao had kept him busy.

"_I just…I just want to go to sleep,"_ Aiko thought in annoyance, glaring at the innocent birdhouse. "But I can't!" she said out-loud, having been unable to sleep comfortably for several nights now, the lack of sleep only adding her to moodiness. Suddenly feeling confined and almost claustrophobic inside the dojo, she rose and wrapped her robe around her to protect from the chill she seemed to feel as she carefully stepped to the ground. The early spring breeze lifted the loose hairs off her neck, the rest of it twisted into a knot on the back of her neck. Her robe was a pale blue over cream silk, and her abdomen had grown even more over the past month, making it hard for her to walk long distances without losing her balance or breath.

Strolling around the yard, she was unaware of anyone else present, her usually-sharp senses dulled by pregnancy, until a man dropped from the trees and pulled her to him.

"Aiko!" Souzou rushed forward, but the man pressed a blade from his knuckle to her throat, and another found its way to her abdomen.

"Take another step forward, and I'll slit her from head to toe," he growled, drawing a small drop of blood from her throat. She cried out in pain and surprise, and Souzou gritted his teeth together in frustration.

"I knew I should have killed you in Russia," he said softly, and Kayo merely chuckled.

"Well, lucky for me you went soft," he replied, and backed up, dragging Aiko with him. "Now, you'll let me leave here with her alive, or she'll die before you can reach us. That's a good man," he praised, as Souzou remained still, watching in a rage as the man left the dojo.

"Souzou?" Kaoru called, rushing outside. "I thought I heard – Aiko!"

"Stay put!" Kayo shouted, and another drop of blood trickled down his blade. Kaoru froze, and he disappeared into the trees.

"You call Genzai and prepare whatever he tells you to," Souzou ordered, before rushing off.

"Hey! Wait a sec!" Kaoru yelled after him, and stamped her foot when he left her hanging. "Men! Fine, then!" she grumbled, and stalked out of the dojo down the road to Dr. Genzai's, Souzou long gone.

* * *

"_What_?" Sano demanded, swiftly rising to his feet. "I thought you had killed the bastard in Russia!"

"I didn't," Souzou replied, and quickly rushed on. "I believe he's going to induce labor and murder both her and the baby so he'll have the only claim on the estate and property of the Sakajima name, since your child is the legitimate heir now."

"That son-of-a-bitch!" Sano growled, his eyes promising death for the man who had threatened his family.

"We'll get him!" Yahiko agreed, but Kenshin put a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll need you back at the dojo to help Dr. Genzai to prepare for our return," he said calmly. "Someone with a calm head will be needed to consider a worst-case scenario, and that would be you, Yahiko."

The young boy considered Kenshin's words for a moment before nodding with a sigh and disappearing from the Akabeko. The three men exchanged glances before striding off on their own.

* * *

"You bastard!" Aiko hissed, her hands tied above her to a tree branch. Her adopted brother was gazing calmly at her, having forced a concoction down her throat several moments before, waiting until she had gagged it down before backing off. "Your plan isn't going to work, you sick, evil, monster!"

"It is so far," he informed her. "You'll go into labor shortly, and I'll kill that whelp and you before anyone can reach us in time, making me the only one with a claim to the Sakajima name."

"I hate you."

"The feeling is mutual," Kayo replied calmly, but the insanity was apparent in his eyes. "And I hate that thing inside you even worse."

"I won't let you hurt my baby!" she cried, her maternal instincts desperately trying to find some way to protect her unborn child, even at the cost of her own life. Her mind racing, a jolt of pain suddenly shooting throughout her body left her gasping for air, the cramps causing acute pain around her abdomen.

"I see it's kicking in," he chuckled, and took a step forward in amusement. "What were you going to call it if it was a boy? I hope not after father." Aiko ignored him, focusing her mind inward in a swordsman technique to focus her emotions inside her. "And if it was a girl? Mother's name was quite nice, to be honest. I always thought so, at least," he continued in a conversational tone, coming even closer.

"Stay the hell away from them!" Sano roared, leaping at the man. Kayo dodged his furious easily, but was caught off-guard by Kenshin and Souzou, both having drawn their swords. Sano freed Aiko from her bonds and lowered her gently to the ground as Kayo faced off against the two legendary men, a smirk growing on his face.

"Hiten Mitsurugi style!" Kenshin shouted, lunging at the man with his sakabato reversed. Kayo managed to avoid death and had his arm sliced open, but Souzou blocked his retreat with his blade crushing his leg.

"He's mine," Sano interrupted, cracking his knuckles and a dangerous light in his eye. "No one – _no one_ – gets away with what you've done," he growled, advancing toward the fallen man. "To hell with honor. Fair play my ass. Trying to kill my wife and child is more than enough reason for me gut you open," Sano continued, and heaved Kayo to his feet. Pushing him away, he regarded the man with a hunter's critical eye.

"You can't…please…" Kayo tried to beg for his life, but a blow from Sano broke his jaw and cut off any further protests.

"Shut the hell up," the enraged young man said calmly. "I'm going to kill you, so you may as well get used to the idea of death and hell." Sano lunged, and it took only several more blows to beat the life of Kayo. Sanosuke stood back in satisfaction for a moment before turning and rushing to Aiko's side. She was breathing heavily, and her eyes were glazed over in pain.

"Apparently, the drug speeds the labor up to a dangerous pace even for an experienced woman," Souzou told them, and Dr. Genzai's warning echoed in Sano's mind.

"Let's go, then," he grunted, picking her up as if she weighed nothing and sprinted toward the dojo.

* * *

I guess it wasn't a very dramatic way to kill the guy off, but I lacked inspiration. Please review!


	7. VII

Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

I am NO GOOD at writing labor scenes. I'm just not, so you'll have to deal with it. I considered having her call out for Aoshi, and then have this huge angst scene involving the three of them, but I decided against it. Sano/Aiko all the way in this fic, people! This is the...BA-BUM-BUUUM! Last Chapter! Wow...I feel both sad and happy, ya know? My Pretear fic will be ended soon as well, just so ya all know. I hope this is a good last chapter, people!

Please review if you read.

* * *

"Oh, my," Dr. Genzai said calmly, as the group arrived in the dojo. Kaoru and Yahiko had followed his orders to the letter, and Sano laid Aiko down on the mat they had prepared, next to hot water and towels. "Sanosuke, help me remove these robes," he ordered. Souzou, Kenshin, and Yahiko quietly exited the room to wait outside the door while Kaoru remained behind to assist the doctor and patient.

"Aiko…hold on," Sano prayed, as she gripped his hand as a painful spasm rocked her body.

"The labor was going to be hard enough naturally, but in an induced state like this…" Dr. Genzai trailed, shaking his head, and Sano shot him a sharp glance.

"Like what?"

"The baby has a high risk of being still-born at this rate, and Aiko could easily die," Dr. Genzai told them reluctantly, and turned to Kaoru. "Kaoru, tell one of them to get Megumi."

"Yes!" Kaoru nodded, and rushed outside. Sano sat with his legs straight out in front of him, with Aiko resting against his chest. He gripped her arms tightly as she spasmed again, and hearing her cry of pain caused anguish to the young man as well. "Souzou is going," she panted, returning in a few seconds. "What can I do?"

"Fetch clean sheets and bandages," the doctor told them. "Megumi will know what to bring with her. Until she arrives, there's not much I can for her."

"_Damn fox better hurry up then,"_ Sano threatened mentally, his hand numbed from Aiko's tight grip on it.

* * *

"Is there any hope at all that she'll live?" Sano demanded, as the two doctors exchanged dark glances almost two hours later. "Well?"

"…Yes," Megumi finally said.

"Then do whatever it takes!" he snapped, never taking his eyes off his wife. Kaoru had loosened her hair, and it clung damply to her sickly-white face and sweat-stained robes.

"We are!" Megumi replied sharply, but her tone lacked conviction. Bending in-between Aiko's legs, the woman looked up at the laboring young woman, her voice crisp. "Push, Aiko! You must push and end this soon!"

Aiko only shrieked in pain, causing Sano to wince. He held her in his arms as her back arched, and closed his eyes in dismay. Kaoru suddenly stood up and left the room, but no one paid any attention.

* * *

"How is she?" Kenshin asked in concern.

"From the sounds in there, not well at all, am I correct?" Souzou guessed, his tone cool and collected. "She's going to die, isn't she, Miss Kaoru? There's nothing either doctor can to do save her – it's the baby that's the concern now."

"How can you be so calm about it?" Kaoru shouted tearfully, and Kenshin held her gently as she burst into tears. "This is killing Sano…he knows she's dying," she sobbed, and Yahiko stared intently at the ground, swinging his legs forcefully. "Dr. Genzai said only a miracle could make either of them come out alive," she ended brokenly, and the two men blinked in surprise.

"_Them_?" Kenshin repeated in confusion. "Dr. Genzai does mean Aiko and the baby, does he not?"

"No…there are twins."

Souzou's jaw actually dropped, and Yahiko fell over in surprise.

* * *

"Damn it," Megumi whispered, as the minutes ticked away. "This can't go on any longer. We'll have to cut them out, Sanosuke."

"Fine," he nodded, Aiko now limp and panting in his arms. Suddenly, she seemed to grow more coherent and sat up straighter, bracing herself with Sano's arms.

"No…" she managed, shifting around. "I can…do this!" Closing her eyes tightly, she drew on Sano's strength, almost breaking his fingers with her grip. She gathered her emotions within her once more, sensing her child's as well around her. _"I…have to do this…"_ she told herself. _"I can't…give up. I'm strong…I can't leave yet! I won't!"_

"This is it!" Dr. Genzai announced, he and Megumi becoming more alert in an instant. "I think she may actually manage it!"

"That's my girl…" Sano murmured, supporting her as she pushed again with all the strength she could muster.

"Sano…I can…Sano…" Aiko's trailed off in a scream of pain, and Megumi actually smiled in delight as Dr. Genzai grabbed a towel. Everything seemed to happen instantaneously to Sanosuke, who suddenly saw the old man holding a bloody towel, with a beaming grin on his face as Megumi remained between Aiko's legs. Another jolt of pain streaked through her body, accompanied by a second agonized cry. In slow motion, Sano saw Megumi also holding a bloodied towel, which she suddenly handed to Dr. Genzai and returned to Aiko with a concerned look.

"She's bleeding to death," she said sharply.

"_What_?" Sano blinked uncomprehendingly, but Megumi ignored him. Aiko lay still in his arms, her chest barely moving as Dr. Genzai busied himself with the bundles. Several more moments passed when Megumi straightened with a relieved sigh, leaning back on her heels.

"I suppose there's a reason she's a swordswoman," the woman informed Sano calmly. "Aiko's not going to die after all."

"And you have two beautiful babies!" Dr. Genzai added cheerfully, and Sano almost fainted – everything was too much and happening far too fast for the poor guy.

"B-bah-ba_bies_?" Sano stammered, his eyes wide with shock. "You mean there's – there's more than one?"

"Twins!" Kaoru exclaimed, rushing in anxiously. Peering over Dr. Genzai's shoulder, since he still held them, she looked up with a bright smile. "A boy and girl, Sano!"

"Wow, Sanosuke, you must've really been packing it!" Yahiko commented, and Kenshin dragged him outside the next instant. Everything merely washed over Sano as he sat there blinking in shock, and suddenly looked down at his sleeping wife.

"Holy crap…" he managed, and jumped when Dr. Genzai held them out to him.

"Hold them! They're your children as well, Sanosuke," he informed him calmly. "Hold them!"

"Shall I call for a wet nurse?" Megumi asked calmly, but Sano stopped her with a shake of his head.

"No – Aiko wanted to do it herself," he explained, and Megumi nodded.

"I'll have to wake her up, then."

"All right – hey!" he protested, as Dr. Genzai suddenly thrust the children into his arms. Sano blinked down at them in confusion, and the girl waved her hand at him as the boy laughed happily.

"Say hello to your daddy, you two!" Kaoru supplied with a laugh. "He may be a good-for-nothing slacker, but he's all yours!"

"Hey!"

"What kind of impression is that to give them of their father?" Kenshin asked quietly, interrupting the overwhelmed Sano. Kaoru nodded in agreement, and returned her attentions to the babies.

"And he beats people up for a living, too!"

"I do _not_!"

"But he loves your mother very much, and I'm sure he'll love you two just as much," Souzou put in quietly, shutting their teasing up. Aiko groaned as Megumi helped her to sit up, and her gaze fell on Sano holding their children.

"T-twins?"

"That was his reaction exactly," Megumi said dryly, taking them from Sano and handing them to Aiko. Turning to the others, she glared at them sharply. "Get out, you guys! Now! Leave!" Once everyone else had left, Dr. Genzai followed Megumi out as well, sliding the door behind them to give the new parents some privacy.

* * *

"Sano…twins…"

"You made it," he interrupted her by pulling her to him roughly, feeling the two babies against his chest as well. "And you kept them alive as well. Aiko…you were dying."

"I know I was," she nodded, rocking the twins as they suckled at her breasts. "I could…feel it somehow. And when I felt our babies dying as well – I couldn't give up, Sano, I just couldn't."

"I'm glad," he murmured into her hair. The new family sat there quietly, Sano holding his wife and children in his arms tightly as Aiko sighed deeply and rested against his chest in relief.

* * *

"Sonya?" Kaoru repeated several days later, blinking.

"It was my mother's name," Aiko told them calmly, holding Sonya and keeping a sharp eye on her husband, who was awkwardly holding the boy.

"Hey, I'd be at lot better at this if you didn't keep shooting me those looks!" he complained, noticing Kaoru and Aiko glancing at him.

"And what will you call the boy?" Kenshin asked curiously. Sano and Aiko exchanged glances, and Sano decided to speak up.

"Souzou – well, Souzou formally, but Taro after her father to avoid confusion," he added. The elder Souzou remained kneeling calmly, and the others blinked. "We already talked that over with the Captain – he means a lot to both of us. Hell, he's like my father in a lot of ways. So, meet Souzou and Sonya Sagara."

"She has your eyes, Sano," Yahiko noticed, peering at the attentive babies. "So does Souzou. They kinda look like you, too."

"I was hoping they'd take after their mother," Sano said calmly, and Kaoru shot him an evil grin.

"So were we," she informed him. "We didn't want them to go through life looking like you, after all."

"Hey!"

"But Taro looks like he's going to have your hair, Aiko," Kaoru continued, ignoring Sano's stammers. Souzou coolly saved his namesake from his father as Sano scooted over to the two women, looking sulky.

"It's all right, Sano," Aiko said absently, suppressing laughter of her own. "I think you're the best-looking man here. Next to Souzou, of course."

"Now, hold on just a sec!" he began, but suddenly stopped as Kenshin looked up.

"Aoshi?" Aiko started, but the ninja turned to Sano with the same expressionless gaze as always.

"I want to talk to you, Sagara," he said calmly. Sano got to his feet and strode after the ninja, leaving the others slightly worried.

"Don't worry – Sano won't do anything," Yahiko supplied, still preoccupied with the babies. Kenshin abruptly found himself holding Taro as Souzou stood as well and followed the two men outside the dojo walls.

"Kenshin! Don't drop him!' Kaoru yelled, as the Wanderer's eyes bugged out at the surprise of holding the baby, causing Kaoru to rescue Taro once more.

* * *

"What do you want, Shinomori?" Sano asked darkly, facing off against Aoshi in the trees.

"I came to warn you," the other man replied calmly.

"About what?"

"If you ever do anything to hurt Aiko, or the children – you won't live long enough to regret it," Aoshi informed Sano, whose eyes widened in both shock and indignation.

"Who do you think you are, to show up and threaten me?" he demanded, but froze when Aoshi unexpectedly appeared close behind him, his hand on Sano's shoulder.

"Someone who also loves Aiko, and won't see her hurt by the likes of you," he whispered dangerously. "She's made her choice, and loves you instead, but don't think her love will protect you if that time comes."

"I don't expect it to," Sano said stiffly, surprising the other man. "If I ever do anything to hurt her, or my children, I'll be grateful for you coming after me. I wouldn't want to live with myself."

"As long as we have an understanding," Aoshi nodded, and disappeared as suddenly as he had come. Sano stalked back to the dojo, his back stiff, Souzou's presence having gone unnoticed by both men as he hid in the shadows to watch the entire exchange.

* * *

"They've grown so big!" Kaoru exclaimed, rushing to meet the Sagaras almost a year afterward. Sano and Aiko had moved out shortly after she had recovered, and were now living several blocks away from the Akabeko, where Sano was working to pay off his debts and Aiko sometimes helped out Tae.

"I know, haven't they?" Aiko smiled, blooming in her motherhood. Sano was full of pride for his family, and it showed in the new way he carried himself. At Aiko's request he had refrained from shedding the "evil" symbol from his back, having said that it was part of who he was and she couldn't picture him without it. Even with it, however, the change in his attitude was obvious to anyone who had once known Sanosuke Sagara, known as Zanza in the underworld.

"The Captain sent a letter – we got it yesterday," Sano told them, as they strode toward the dojo. Aiko had continued practicing the Kamiya-Kasshin style with Kaoru and Yahiko, insisting it was easier for her to handle even after she had regained her former figure and stamina. "He's in Germany now."

"How are his travels going?" Kenshin asked, appearing with the laundry on his head.

"He's enjoying it," Sano grinned, cheerfully taking his children from their mother. "I'm glad he decided to travel the continent – he needed something to do, and he used to talk about seeing the rest of the world one day. Thanks to the government pardon issued and all that dough they gave him as well, he can finally do it."

"And Sano's finally coming close to paying off his debts," Aiko added teasingly, and Yahiko laughed, also having continued working at the Akabeko.

"Tae said I didn't need to pay up," he grumbled in embarrassment, but she only shook her finger at him.

"After all that you had on that tab, there was no way I was letting you skip out on it just because Tae was in a good mood after meeting the babies," Aiko informed him sternly, and he hung his head in most dismay. "Aw, cheer up, Sanosuke! Look, Taro's smiling at you!"

"Aw, he is, isn't he?" Sano smirked in satisfaction, beaming back at his son. Glancing up he caught Kenshin's eye, and grinned at him. "And you and missy here had the nerve to go and tie the knot without even a word to us!"

"Well…we didn't want to cause a fuss…" Kenshin stammered, backing away as he tried to figure out how Sano had learned about it before noticing Yahiko's snickering. "Yahiko…"

"Bye!" the kid shouted, waving as he tore across the yard.

"Funny how things turned out," Aiko commented, preparing to begin her practice. "Isn't it?"

"Not really," Sano shrugged, stretching out on his back as Taro and Sonya sat on his stomach. "I told you when we met, didn't I? You were gonna come back to me."

"_I_ came back to _you_?" she repeated in mock anger, before laughing at his expression. "I know, Sanosuke. You were right, too. And I'll never live it down – especially when I wasn't going to come back after all."

"Eh…the Captain would've made you," Sano waved his hand absently, earning a smack on the head with the wooden weapon. "Hey! Cut that out, missy!"

"Show some me some respect in my own dojo, you free-loader," she sniffed, and he groaned.

"I can't win."

"Stop being so touchy, Sano," Aiko said, kissing him briefly before turning back to her practice.

* * *

What'd I tell ya? Sucky labor scene, but I think I did decent for the most part. I tried to sort of wrap things up a little, while still leaving a sense of mystery, ya know?I couldn't just leave Aoshi's role in this hanging, so I decided on the scene with Sanosuke instead. Ah...Aoshi loving from afar. Perhaps that will come into play in a sequel? It's up to you guys, so review and let me know what you thought of this story!


End file.
